The Final Curse
by LSUsweetie
Summary: Six years ago, Voldemort was defeated and the war won. Hermione Granger, now working in the Department of Mysteries, has discovered a curse set upon the wizarding population by Voldemort himself. A new prophecy is made and Hermione once again finds herself responsible for the fate of the wizarding world. How will Harry and Ron react? Can they break the curse in time?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note:

Welcome and thanks for reading my first fic! I want to say thank you to Gattrocuriso1992 and cassity2821 for reading this story first and offering advice and kind words of encouragement.

Grammarly was my Beta. Any mistakes are mine.

Disclaimer:

I do not own the characters in this story. Anything recognizable doesn't belong to me. They are JK Rowling's characters and I just enjoy playing with them.

...

Chapter 1

Daybreak, 2 May 1998

Voldemort listened to Harry Potter's words. He outwardly conveyed arrogance, but inwardly he was truly shocked. His safeguards... all of them... destroyed. Could it be true? That meddling old fool Dumbledore, could he have really figured out his secret?

His followers had failed him. Lucius Malfoy would pay with his life for getting rid of that diary. It was all Lucius's fault. Without the diary, Dumbledore never would have known.

Surely, Potter was wrong about being the master of the Elder Wand. He wasn't in possession of the wand, and he lacked the skill to best him in a duel. He cast the spell to end Potter and watched in horror as it rebound upon him.

His final thought before the nothingness was that he would have the last laugh. They would all be punished for failing him. The best part was, no one knew. He had trusted no one with this, the final secret.

...

24 May 2004

Deep in the bowels of the Ministry of Magic, in the Department of Mysteries, Hermione Granger sat at her desk with her head in her hands. She felt overwhelmed, and a little hopeless. She thought back to how she had reached this point.

She heard a throat clearing from the doorway of her office. Looking up, she saw her boss, the head of the DoM, Unspeakable Smithe. Though she loved her job, she despised her boss. He was a portly and balding red-faced man who thought far too much of himself and his capabilities, one of those people who thought they always knew the best way to do something and weren't shy about sharing their opinion. She forced a tight smile, and asked, "What can I do for you this morning, Unspeakable Smithe?"

"I need to see you in my office, now," he barked.

Without waiting for a response he turned and walked away, sure that she would follow.

Hermione groaned and thought to herself, 'What now?' She really couldn't take anything else right now. Pulling herself together, she walked into her boss's office, doing her best to maintain a pleasant look on her face.

"Sir, you needed to see me?"

"Sit down, Granger."

Hermione sat and looked across the desk at the irritating man, waiting for what she knew to be inevitable.

"Unspeakable Granger, you've been with the department for five years now, is that correct?"

"Yes sir," agreed Hermione.

"You've been investigating the birth rate issue for your entire tenure, correct?"

Hermione again answered affirmatively.

"Granger, it's time for a new project. I'll give you a week to choose from the available projects. You've had long enough to work on this one. I would have expected results from you by now. You came highly recommended." He scoffed, " I have to admit, I thought that the so-called brains behind The Golden Trio would have been much more impressive."

Hermione ignored the insult. She was used to his demeaning nature. "Sir, if I may, I've recently had a breakthrough on the project, I just need a little longer and I think I may have a resolution."

"One week Granger. I want your decision about your new project on my desk in one week or I will decide for you."

Hermione returned to her desk dejectedly. She knew that she was going to have to bring Kingsley in and let him know what she had found. Unfortunately, now she was going to have to also go over her boss's head and have Kingsley demand that he leave her on the project. This was not going to go well.

Hermione tried to get some work done but found her mind drifting. She was having trouble focusing. She thought back on the last five years of her life. After the war, Hermione had elected to return to Hogwarts for her final year. Then, she had decided to start at the ministry as soon as she completed her education. Earning her NEWTs had been extremely important to her, and she came out at the top of her class. In fact, her scores were the highest that Hogwarts had seen in many years. Due to this, and her part in the war, she was sought by many departments.

The Department of Mysteries was among those who wanted her, and ultimately it was the best fit. She had decided on the DoM above some of her other offers because she knew that she would always be challenged, and never bored. Other departments wouldn't have provided the same benefit. When she first started, she was looking for her niche. She quickly found it analyzing post-war population patterns. There were other projects, of course, but this was her baby. She had known for a while that there was a problem but, she had never expected to find something like this...

She continued to try and distract her mind from the train wreck staring back at her. Thinking of Harry and Ron, her best friends. Her brothers in everything, but blood. Sure, she and Ron had shared that kiss in the heat of the moment during the final battle, but they had quickly realized that they didn't share romantic feelings. Thankfully, they had both realized that immediately following the war. They chose to ignore the kiss, and return to just being friends. Hermione was thankful that the feeling had been mutual. She knew that with Ron's temper, they wouldn't have been able to maintain a friendship if they'd had a failed relationship.

Harry hadn't been as lucky in this regard. He and Ginny had attempted to pick up where they left off, and it had been an unmitigated disaster. They had both changed during the war, and they simply weren't compatible anymore. Unfortunately, they drug it out to the bitter end, both saying regrettable things. They were able to be cordial now, but that was as friendly as they got. Weasley family gatherings were interesting, to say the least.

Hermione forced her attention to return to the information sitting in front of her. She had reviewed the data time after time, with the same results. This information was the culmination of the research that she had been conducting for the past five years. She knew the data was correct, but it didn't mean that she had to like the implications. Especially now... especially since the night of the Memorial Ball... She had to take this to the Minister. He had to know what they were up against. They needed a plan.

She was deep in thought when her office door opened, startling her. Looking up, she saw Harry standing there, looking at her expectantly, "Harry, I'm sorry, did you say something? I was off in my own world."

Harry laughed, "That was obvious. What's going on, Hermione? Lately, you are acting like you did back in Hogwarts when you were trying to solve some big, important puzzle. Are you alright?"

"I'm okay, Harry," she said, giving him what she hoped was a genuine smile. Watching his face, she could tell he wasn't completely convinced.

She tried a different tact, "Harry, you know how it is in the Department of Mysteries. Secrets come with the job. It's all part of the routine. I'll share what I can as soon as I can."

He nodded, easily accepting this explanation. Unspeakables were notorious for their secretive nature.

"Well, you know I'm always here if you need to talk about anything."

She flashed him a brilliant smile, "I know, Harry. Thank you."

"I almost forgot the reason I came down here in the first place. Would you like to come over for dinner? I'm just picking up take-out, but you haven't hung out with Ron and I in a while."

"I'm sorry, Harry. I need to stay late tonight and finish something up. I promise that we will get together very soon."

He nodded and started to leave, but stopped and turned back, "Don't stay too late, and don't forget to eat!" At her look of incredulity, he scoffed, "How long have I known you? Don't try to pretend that you don't get caught up and skip meals regularly."

She gave him a sheepish smile but nodded. "I won't be here much longer. I just want to finish this up."

She stayed later than she intended, reviewing the facts one more time. Though she knew that nothing would change, she wanted to be completely sure before she took it to Kingsley. This was way too big for speculation.

Finally, the silence broken by her stomach loudly protesting the late hour, she glanced at her watch and realized that it was far later than she had realized. Staying late had accomplished nothing. The facts were the facts. All of her assumptions were correct. It was time to take action. She sighed deeply and sent off a memo to Kingsley's secretary requesting a private meeting as soon as possible. That done, she grabbed her belongings and left for the night. There was nothing more she could do until she spoke with Kingsley.

...

"Dying, what do you mean dying?" Kingsley Shaklebolt said as he looked across his desk at Hermione.

Hermione took deep breaths, visibly steeling herself before she answered, "Kingsley, the data is unfortunate but correct. Squib births are at an all-time high, and that's the least of our worries. Births, in general, are down by 75%. If this continues, the British magical population will be extinct in three or four generations. The fact is that after two wars, our population was already suffering. The largest number of deaths occurred in the population group that would currently be of childbearing age. Add those reduced numbers to this birth issue and we have a real problem."

Kingsley sighed, "Are other countries experiencing this too?"

Hermione nodded grimly, "Yes, but on a much smaller scale. I've been analyzing the data for patterns" She chewed on her bottom lip nervously, "I have a theory that I don't think you're going to like. From the information that I've gathered, it appears that this is all the result of a curse that Voldemort set on his followers and their descendants. I found an ancient curse that could be cast upon all who were connected by blood. Since the dark marks were created by blood magic, he was able to cast it upon everyone whose familial blood was linked by the dark marks, simultaneously. He wouldn't have needed to curse families individually. There is a big possibility that he used this curse during the first war. I don't know if his magic was stable enough to perform a curse of this magnitude after the creation of all of those Horcruxes. This is dark and difficult blood magic. He would have needed to be in his prime to pull this off."

Hermione exhaled heavily and continued. " I have determined that the curse is preventing anyone who is blood-related to a marked death eater from conceiving a magical baby, and that's if they are able to conceive at all. It appears that the curse activated as soon as he was defeated. There have been no magical babies born to anyone related to a known death eater since 2 May 1998. In fact, most of these families are unable to conceive at all. I've concluded that the curse was a failsafe for him. In the event of his true death, he wanted his followers to be punished and the magical world to die. It was his final act of terror."

Kingsley let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding, " Hermione, are we sure about the affected population?"

Hermione grimaced, but acknowledged her agreement, "Yes, the data is clear. Families who have no blood connections to a marked death eater are the only ones who have birthed any magical children in the past six years. Those with known connections are unable to conceive magical children. There's also a third group, those like Dean Thomas, who don't know the identity of one of their parents. Some of those, including Dean, have been affected."

Kingsley sat back, shock evident on his face. "Have we worked out a way to stop the curse?"

Hermione took a deep breath and told him the worst part, "Well, Minister, that's the thing... a new prophecy has been made."

Kingsley was speechless for a few moments. He appeared to be trying to think through what he needed to say, and how to say it. It wasn't often that he was rendered speechless. Finally, he spoke, " Hermione, who was this prophecy made to, and who was the seer who made the prophecy?"

Hermione sighed, "It was made to me, by Luna Lovegood."

"When?" came Kingsley's terse response.

"Three weeks ago, on the anniversary of the battle," Hermione clasped her hands together nervously.

"Three weeks! Why didn't you come to me before now?" demanded Kingsley slapping a palm to the top of his desk for emphasis.

Hermione briefly closed her eyes, she had known that he would react badly to this piece of information. She took a calming breath and explained, "I wanted to be sure of the data, and implications before I met with you. I needed time to gather everything and make sense of it myself."

Kingsley nodded once, but looked unhappy, "Okay, let's go through everything. Tell me what the prophecy says, what you think it means and your plan to break the curse."

Hermione considered this for a moment, then said, "I think it may be best to show you the prophecy. Do you have a Pensive that we can use?"

Hermione left the meeting more than an hour later, feeling completely exhausted. She and Kinsley had a plan, and she had informed him of the issue with her boss. He had assured her that he would take care of her boss. He'd explained that he would inform her boss that she would be reporting directly to Kinglsey for the time being. Hermione knew that the arrogant man would hate being circumvented, but there was nothing she could do about that. This was necessary for the fate of the wizarding world.

Hermione sighed, there were so many things that needed to be done, and she didn't have very long to accomplish everything. The prophecy imposed a critical deadline. She knew she had to speak to Harry and Ron immediately. Once again, the fate of the wizarding world rested firmly on their shoulders.

...

Two evenings later, Hermione was in the kitchen of her flat making dinner for Harry and Ron. This was the first evening since the meeting with Kingsley that they had been available to meet. She wanted to feed them a good meal before she talked to them. Hopefully, being full would temper Ron's reaction. He wasn't going to take this well.

They arrived through the Floo a few moments later, both still in their Auror uniforms. After exchanging greetings, Ron asked, "What's for dinner? I'm starving."

Hermione laughed, "Of course you are, come on, everything is ready. We should eat." As they ate they talked about inconsequential things and enjoyed the meal together.

Finally, sensing Hermione's tension, Ron asked around a mouth full of potatoes, "What was so important that you had to see us tonight?"

Hermione replied, "Let's finish eating then we can have some cake and tea in the sitting room and I'll tell you everything." Harry and Ron exchanged a look at her cryptic answer but shrugged and continued their meal.

Ron stuffed a third piece of cake into his mouth, but Harry watched as Hermione nervously nibbled on hers. He could sense that this was something big. "Hermione, what's wrong? What's going on? Are you in some kind of trouble? You know you can tell us anything."

Hermione sighed, " I'll start at the beginning and tell you everything. Please don't interrupt me. Wait until I've said it all and then you can ask questions," Hermione began. She spoke for several minutes, telling them of Voldemort's curse, about the conception and birth data she had collected, and what it all meant.

When she finally stopped talking, Ron said, "What does this have to do with us? I don't care what happens to those bloody death eaters, and you shouldn't either! They deserve to die out!"

Hermione took a few calming breaths and attempted to keep her composure. She had expected an outburst from him. Knowing that it wouldn't help if she lost her temper with him, she stopped herself from lashing out at him. Meeting his gaze, she calmly argued, "Ron, it's not only death eaters. It's innocent people who have any blood relations who took the dark mark. Even Dean Thomas, who we know was on our side, hasn't been able to conceive with his wife despite trying for the past 3 years! Since Dean doesn't know who his father was, either he or another blood relative on that side must have been marked. Then, there's George's girlfriend, Tracy Davis. Her grandfather was marked in the first war. He was killed, and her parents remained neutral this time, but the curse would affect her as well. If she and George marry, they will have trouble conceiving. If they are ever successful, the baby would be a squib. Those are just two examples. There are numerous couples like that. Many innocents who would suffer heartbreak because of the dammed curse that madman set to activate upon his death."

Harry and Ron looked stricken. It was Ron who finally spoke again. "Hermione, I still don't understand what this has to do with the three of us."

Hermione shifted uncomfortably, and looked down at her hands, "Well the thing is... there's been another prophecy."

Hermione looked at her boys. They had been through so much already, and she hated doing this to them. However, she knew that there was no other way. Ron and Harry stared back at her. Harry had gone deathly pale, and Ron looked like he was going to puke. Finally, Harry asked quietly, "What did it say? Is he returning somehow? I thought with destroying the Horcruxes..."

"Oh no, Harry. He is really dead for good. He's not coming back. It's nothing like that. Regardless, you aren't going to like what the prophecy has to say," interrupted Hermione.

Ron had apparently had enough, "Just spit it out. What does the bloody prophecy say?"

Hermione looked at both of them, " I think it's better if you watch the memory yourselves. You see, the prophecy was made to me." Harry's eyebrows rose but he said nothing. Ron just nodded, speechless for once. They both looked shocked but resigned.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note:

Thank you for the lovely reviews. I appreciate all of them! This update was a little sooner than I expected. The story is nearly complete. From now on, I plan to post a chapter once or twice every week. Thanks for reading!

Grammarly is my Beta

I don't own the characters.

...

Chapter 2

Hermione set up the pensive that she had borrowed from Kingsley, and removed the silvery strand with her wand. Placing it in the Pensive, she looked up, "Shall we?" They both nodded and plunged their heads into the stone basin. Looking around, they could see Hermione and Luna, both dressed for the memorial ball, laughing and drinking glasses of wine as they sat and chatted in this very flat. Suddenly, Luna stiffened, and her eyes rolled back. When she spoke it was in a very un-Luna-like voice.

"The three who vanquished the souls of black must join again to save our world. They must bond with true love's mate. Three of the light, three of the black must come together on the magical anniversary of his fate. At the pool of the first, they must join as one. Love and light must prevail for fruitfulness to return to our land."

When she finished, Luna slowly came back to herself, "Ooh, Hermione, the Wrackspurts are awfully active tonight," she said, batting her hands around her head as she was known to do. " I feel a little funny, maybe I shouldn't have any more wine until dinner." Hermione nodded absently, and stared blankly, as if in deep thought.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione returned to Hermione's sitting room in silence. Harry was the first to speak, "Hermione, please explain it all in simple terms. What exactly will we have to do?"

"Well, obviously, the 'three of the light' refers to us. We destroyed the Horcruxes and vanquished the pieces of soul in each. The 'magical anniversary' is most likely seven years from the date of his defeat. We already know how much he likes the number seven... so, 2 May 2005. The 'pool of the first' more than likely refers to the underground pool discovered by Merlin at Dinas Emrys," Hermione paused.

"And the last part?" urged Harry.

"Well, that's what you aren't going to like... The three of us, well, we have to be bound to our soulmates in a ceremony at the Pool of Merlin on the 7th anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts," she said this last part quickly as if trying to get it over with.

"Bloody hell," said Ron.

Harry looked a bit more thoughtful, " How are we supposed to locate our soulmates in the next 11 months, let alone convince them to go along with this? We have to convince possible strangers to bond with us. Magical bonding is marriage, it's for life...no going back... no getting out of it. How exactly do you propose we do this?"

Hermione took a deep breath and began to speak again, "There is a soulmate spell. It's ancient magic. Kingsley and I decided that utilizing this spell would be the best course of action. It requires a bit of blood, along with a potion. Kingsley is going to be sending out official letters to all unmarried witches and wizards between the ages of 17-35. They will be summoned to the ministry for blood testing. We are claiming that the DoM needs the blood for research on the low rate of magical births. We thought that it was best to stick to a partial truth."

Noting that they were stunned, but still listening, she continued, "I started brewing the potion the day after I met with Kingsley. The potion takes six full weeks to complete but is only good for two weeks once brewing is finished. So, the timing is important. I'm not entirely sure how long it will take to get everyone in for their blood testing. Because of that, I'll likely brew two batches. I'll wait two weeks before I start the second potion. If it looks like testing will take longer than expected, I can always brew a third batch later."

Ron and Harry were silent. They both knew that the plan would work, but it was a little underhanded and a lot sneaky. Given that this plan was devised by Hermione and Kingsley, they shouldn't be surprised. Hermione had kept Rita Skeeter in a jar for Merlin's sake, and Kingsley was a known Slytherin, no, they shouldn't be surprised.

"So, how will we convince our matches to bond with us?" Harry asked.

Hermione chewed on her bottom lip, and replied, "The way the spell works is that a percentage of compatibility will be assigned between each potential match. True soulmates are 100% compatible. When the matches are discovered, the three of us, and the three of them will be called into a private meeting with Kingsley. At that meeting, all of the facts will be laid out. They will be given all of the information that we have. I'm not sure what Kingsley has in mind if someone refuses to participate, but I can't imagine anyone being willing to be the one who literally causes the eventual demise of our entire society. Not to mention, if the prophecy is to be believed, the three that we are matched with will be affected by the curse themselves."

"Wait" Ron interjected, " you mean that our soulmates are death eaters?"

"Ron, they are unlikely to be actual death eaters. All of the known death eaters are in Askaban or dead."

Ron glowered at her, "Not Malfoy! What are you going to do if you are matched with him?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Give it a rest, Ron. Malfoy is already married, but you know that he was proven to have participated only under duress. He didn't take the mark willingly. He's actually not that bad anymore. We have worked together for the past five years, and we get along just fine. Honestly, though, I plan to put in a real effort with whomever I'm matched with, and I hope they will do the same for me. The soulmate spell guarantees that we will be compatible, and we aren't children anymore. This is something that we all know we are going to commit to, we may as well put in the effort that will give us the best results."

Harry found his voice and asked, "When will this matching thing take place?"

Hermione gave him a grateful smile. "The letters will go out on Monday. The appointments will begin on the following Monday and will take 2-3 weeks to complete. The first potion will be done by 1 July, and I can begin running the spell. Since I can't trust anyone to keep the nature of the spell a secret, I will have to do it all myself. Hopefully, I can have everything finished by mid to late July, depending on the number of people I have to get through, and how long the spell takes for each person."

...

The letters did go out on Monday. They were the cause of a great deal of speculation by the Prophet, and the wizarding population in general. People were spewing crazy theories about what was going to happen. Guesses included everything from a Marriage Law, to serialization for those unable to produce magical children. As the weeks of testing concluded, the conjecture grew wilder. Hermione, Ron, and Harry were having a good laugh about it all. For once, they weren't the subject of inaccurate reporting. Thankfully, no one had the real story. The Prophet, namely Rita Skeeter, would have had a field day if someone leaked the secret.

Fortunately, there were no leaks. They prevented them by simply not bringing anyone else into their confidence. Kingsley, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were the only people who really knew what was going on. Some of the Unspeakables probably had a bit of an idea, but even they wouldn't be able to guess the full truth. They only knew what Hermione had been researching, and since that was close enough to the story that Kinglsey had given The Prophet, they accepted it easily.

While they enjoyed the speculation from the media, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were having a more difficult time with the questions being asked by their friends, and Ron's family. Everyone was on edge, wondering why the blood testing targeted that specific demographic. Everyone seemed to want to discuss all the possibilities. Hermione and Harry both felt uncomfortable with being required to equivocate when their friends asked direct questions. Most of their friends and family, easily accepted that they didn't know anything. Unfortunately, Percy didn't fall into that category. He was especially infuriating, he had been made Sr. Undersecretary to the Minister a few years after the war, and he was livid that he hadn't been informed about what was going on.

Percy was aware of the meeting that Hermione had with Kingsley right before the blood testing was announced. Using that information, he had determined that Hermione knew more than she was letting on, and suspected that Harry and Ron were in on the secret. He was incensed that they knew more than he did, especially given his high position.

When Harry, Ron, and Hermione were alone, Ron had taken to expressing his glee that Percy didn't know something. Especially something that he wanted to know so badly. Hermione urged him not to get too cocky around Percy, knowing that one small slip could give them away. He was far more intuitive than his family gave him credit for. She was aware that a small piece of information could give him everything he needed to begin to put things together.

Kingsley visited Hermione in her office a few days after she had visited the Burrow. He informed her that Percy was asking questions. She explained that she was aware and that he had been asking her questions as well. Kingsley went on to explain that it had gotten to the point that he had to tell Percy something so he had expanded a little on the story that they had given to the Prophet. He wanted to let her know that he had told Percy that the blood samples were part of Hermione's investigation into the birth rate and squib problem. He told him that they were keeping it all very confidential in case a solution couldn't be found. That they didn't want to get the public's hopes up at this time. He had told Percy that Hermione expected to need at least another year of research and testing once she had all of the blood samples so they wouldn't see quick results at any rate.

Thankfully Percy had accepted this explanation. He was also now smug, thinking that he had been brought into their confidence. Hermione hoped that this explanation would be enough as the year progressed. Hopefully, they could find a way to prevent Percy from being privy to future meetings, especially meetings that included the others.

...

Finally, all the blood samples were collected, and Hermione was finishing the potion. In only three more days it too would be complete. Eventually, that day came, and Hermione prepared to hide away in a private lab, only she and Kingsley had access to, and work the spell. When it was done, it would produce a sheet of parchment for each person who was tested. That person's name would appear at the top of the page with all of their matches and the percentage of compatibility listed down the page. It would only list those matches with 60% or greater compatibility.

Hermione was locked in her lab every day for the next few weeks. Running the spell for each individual tested took quite a bit of time. However, she didn't trust anyone else to help. This was far too important to risk an error or exposure of their plan.

Finally, she had all of the results. She sent a quick owl to Kingsley, informing him that she was done and that she would have Harry and Ron meet them in his office once business hours were over for the day. They had previously discussed the fact that all future meetings would need to be before or after business hours to prevent too much speculation.

She stacked the results in a neat pile, shoved them in her bag, hidden away from prying eyes, and sent a Patronus to Harry and Ron asking them to meet her in Kingsley's office at half-past six that evening. It was nearly time for them to learn the names of the people they were matched with, their soulmates.

Looking at her watch, she was thankful that she only had a few hours to kill until she could go upstairs for the meeting. Her heart was pounding, and her mind racing but she didn't look at her results just yet. While she was extremely curious about who she was matched with, she wanted to calm down a little, and she really wanted the support of her friends when she learned the name of her future husband.

Once in Kingsley's office, she handed over the stack of results. As soon as Harry and Ron joined them, she asked Kingsley to give them each their results. She looked at Harry and Ron. She was nervous and knew that they must be too. Falling back on an old, anxious habit, she began to lecture them, "Before we do this, remember that the person on this parchment is your soulmate. You need to keep an open mind and be willing to give this person a chance. Because they are your soulmate, it is guaranteed that you can have a happy future if you are both willing to give the relationship a chance."

Ron apparently couldn't take anymore and burst out, "Hermione, please, stop with all of the soppy shite. We heard you the first hundred times you told us."

"Fine," huffed Hermione, "I'm only trying to help."

"Okay, looking at the parchment, only the person who is listed at 100% is your soulmate. Let's look together on three... one, two, three..."

She looked down, and read the name, Theodore Nott. She remembered him from school. He had been in Draco Malfoy's gang of Slytherins, but he was never rude or mean to her. He never sneered or verbally abused her like the others did. He typically hung back from the group. His eyes had a sad, haunted look long before the war began. It had made her wonder about him, even back then.

She remembered seeing him in the library quite a bit, especially during 8th year. A few times that year, she had noticed him giving her a tentative smile when she passed him in the halls or saw him in the library. She also knew that he was intelligent. She, Draco, and Theo had been the top students in the school, much to the ire of the Ravenclaws' in their year. She looked forward to having the opportunity to have regular conversations with an academic equal. Hopefully, they could make this work. She decided then that she would give him a real chance. She had to be bonded to him, she may as well put in the effort to be happy.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Ron, "Bloody buggering hell! I can't do this." She looked at him questioningly. He responded by waving his parchment in her direction and howling, "I got Pansy Parkinson. Why did it have to be her of all people? It could have been anyone else. I can't be bonded to her! Those kinds of bonds are for life, no getting out of it! Are you sure you did this right? How is SHE my soulmate?"

Harry ignored Ron's outburst and asked Hermione who she was matched with, "Theo Nott," she replied. "You?"

"Daphne Greengrass," Harry responded.

Again, Ron broke in, "Well, that's alright for the two of you, those are the nicer Slytherins, not like that complete cow, Pansy Parkinson!"

Hermione spoke, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice, "Ron, I'm sure she's grown up. The rest of us have, including you, even if you aren't acting like it right now. She may be perfectly lovely now. You just need to give her a chance." Ron didn't bother to reply, he just glared at her, and huffing out a breath, crossed his arms across his chest.

"So, what's the next step?" asked Harry.

Kingsley, who had been watching this display with mild amusement, exchanged a look with Hermione before replying, "Next, we set up a meeting, in here, in a few days with your matches. We explain everything to them, answer any questions that they have. Then, we start planning for the ritual that will take place on 2 May. Between that meeting and your bondings, the three of you should try to get to know your matches. I would suggest that you get to know them well, as you will be married to them in less than a year."

They all agreed that was the best course of action. Ron was still upset, so they decided to grab some takeout, and take it back to Grimmauld Place, where Harry and Ron now lived together. They had asked Hermione to move in as well, but she liked her privacy too much.

In an attempt to mollify Ron, they allowed him to choose the meal. He went with pizza, his favorite of the muggle meals that Harry and Hermione had introduced him to. According to Ron, he could eat pizza every day.

Arriving back at Grimmauld, they settled in with pizza and cold bottles of muggle beer. Taking a slice of her favorite, ham and mushrooms, Hermione enjoyed it slowly. She wisely waited until Ron had devoured four slices before she dared to speak, "Ron, I know that Pansy was never your favorite person, but you didn't actually know her. You knew the Slytherin that sneered and lashed out at the Gryffindors. You knew the girl on the other side of a war. You knew a child who was taught at home to be prejudiced against everything you believed in. She was a kid, we all were."

"Exactly, Hermione, we were kids too. You're proving my point. We choose the right side, didn't we."

"Ron, you don't know what it was like for her. Who knows what pressure she was under to prove which side she was on. One thing that getting to know Malfoy better has taught me is that we shouldn't pass judgment until we actually know what really went on," argued Hermione.

Ron huffed, "Even Malfoy protected our identities when it mattered. What did Pansy do? Oh... right... I remember now, she tried to turn Harry over to Voldy."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but nodded slightly, "She did, Ron, but again you don't truly know what kind of pressure she was under. She was a frightened kid. Not everyone could have or would have done what we did. In fact, most didn't... Ron, I'm just saying that you should give her a chance. Try and get to know her. There is a reason that you are compatible. You may be pleasantly surprised."

When she heard Ron mutter, "Not bloody likely," under his breath, Hermione gave up and finished her pizza. She could only hope that things would go smoothly when they all met their matches later in the week.


	3. Chapter 3

Notes:

Thank you to everyone who is reading, commenting, following, and favoriting my story! I appreciate each and every one of you.

Chapter 3

The next evening, Harry came through Hermione's Floo without warning. "Sorry for showing up uninvited, but I wanted to talk to you without Ron. He's gone to the Burrow for dinner. Ginny was going to be there so I used that as an excuse not to go. We've been so focused on Ron's reaction to all of this that we haven't had a chance to talk about anything else." He paused and looked at her, waiting to see if she had anything to say.

Hermione sighed, "Sit down, Harry. I do have things that I need to talk about, and I'm guessing that you do too."

Harry nodded, "You first."

Hermione sat silently for a moment, thinking before she finally spoke, "I'm scared. I am the one who discovered all of this, so part of me feels responsible for the whole thing. I know I'm not, but..."

"Hermione, none of this is your fault. You didn't set the curse. You did an amazing thing by figuring it all out. I knew that you were probably feeling this way, I should have talked to you about it sooner."

"It's okay, Harry. We've all had things on our minds. It's a lot to process. I'm also worried about being married to someone that I don't know. What if he hates that it's me? I decided weeks ago that I was going through with this and that I would put in every effort to make sure that this relationship can work. What if Theo isn't interested in doing the same?"

"I don't think you should worry about that yet. I think you need to deal with your own feelings for now. You don't know how he will react until it happens. So, for now, how are you actually feeling?"

Hermione reached over and hugged Harry hard, "When did you get so smart, Harry Potter?" she whispered in his ear.

"I learned from you," Harry responded with a grin.

Hermione laughed, then sobered, "To be honest, I'm feeling lots of different emotions. I feel sad because I have always wanted a chance to have a real love story. You know, the kind where you meet someone, and slowly fall in love, then get married." She paused, and sighed, "That, isn't in the cards now. I do trust the soulmate spell. I know that it's genuine and I know that we will truly be happy with our partners once we've gotten to know them, but it depends on their reactions, doesn't it?"

Harry nodded and took her hand, squeezing gently to offer support. She continued, "If I'm honest, I'm also a little angry. We lost the chance to be normal kids because of Voldemort and the other adults who manipulated us. This is another big sacrifice to make. Why does it always have to be us? When is it someone else's turn?"

Harry thoroughly agreed with the last part, and he told Hermione so, "I do feel like this is something else being pushed on us 'for the greater good.' It seems unfair, but if you trust the soulmate spell, then I will too. It is nice to know for sure who the right person is for me. Relationships haven't exactly been easy for me. It's hard to find someone who actually wants to know the real me, and not just their idea of who I should be."

He paused and nudged her, " I guess that's the silver lining. It also doesn't hurt that Daphne is really pretty."

"Pretty? Honestly, Harry pretty is an understatement. She's gorgeous!"

The two friends relaxed together for the rest of the evening, feeling better after expressing their fears and doubts to each other. They knew that they couldn't completely control what would happen next, but they were both at peace with their decision to go along with this, put effort into their new relationships, and trust the soulmate spell.

...

Three days later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione found themselves sitting in Kingsley's office once again. This time, they were joined by Theo, Pansy, and Daphne. As she waited for the meeting to begin, Hermione paid attention to the three Slytherins. She noticed that they all looked extremely nervous. She tried to consider what they might be thinking and realized that they were likely worried about having been called into a meeting with the Minister and the three of them without being offered an explanation as to why they needed to be there.

Finally, Kingsley welcomed all of them and they all politely returned the greeting. Kingsley, not wanting to drag out their obvious fear, brought up the topic at hand, "You are all probably wondering why you are here. Let's get down to business." He began to explain everything, from Hermione's research to her discovery of the curse. He finally got to the prophecy and deferred to Hermione. She related the prophecy word for word and then began to break it down to explain what everything meant.

It was Theo who broke in with questions, "So, can we assume that's what all the secretive blood testing was about?" Smiling at him, Hermione fought the sudden urge to shout out, 'ten points to Slytherin,' and wondered what on earth had come over her. Instead, she told him that he was correct, and went on to explain that they were here because they were a soulmate match for one of the three of them.

Pansy interjected, "What if we refuse?"

"Well, the three of you, as well as anyone else who is blood-related to a marked death eater, will be unable to produce a magical child. If you are lucky enough to be able to conceive at all, the child will be a squib. This will continue until there aren't enough magical people left in England, and we will cease to exist. This also affects any marked followers and their blood relations who reside in other countries. This curse will have far-reaching consequences on the magical population if it isn't stopped. Unfortunately, this is the only way to make sure it is ended," answered Hermione.

Pansy had gone pale and looked sick. Daphne wiped a stray tear away and spoke quietly, "My sister and Draco have been trying to conceive for two years without any success. She is heartbroken. I've wanted a way to help her. I will do whatever I need to do to make this stop. I'm in."

Theo slowly nodded, looking serious, "I've wanted a way to make up for all of the horrible things that my father did. I'm in as well."

Pansy had crossed her arms protectively in front of her body. She looked at everyone petulantly. "I don't think I can do this. This is asking far too much of us."

Hermione noticed Daphne and Theo silently communicating. Theo looked at Pansy pointedly, and Daphne rose from her seat, "Pansy, may I speak to you privately for a moment?"

Pansy nodded her consent, and Kingsley helpfully offered, "You may use my secretary's office, everyone has gone for the day."

Daphne thanked him and led the way out of the room with Pansy following behind, starting to cry. Theo hopped up at the last moment and followed them out as well.

Hermione looked around at Kingsley, and her friends and asked what they would do if Pansy ended up refusing outright. Kingsley had done his best to be reassuring, and had replied, "Let me worry about that if it comes to it."

They had all agreed and sat around, waiting until the group returned.

When they came back in almost twenty minutes later, Pansy looked at Harry and Ron, and sighed, "Which one of you do I have to marry? Please say that it's Potter."

Ron sneered at her, "Sorry to break your heart Parkinson, you don't get the chosen one, you're stuck with me. Trust me, I'm no more excited about this than you."

Pansy looked green but nodded, "I'm in as well. I can't be responsible for the failure of all of my friends who want a child to be able to procreate, even if that means being stuck with Weasley."

"So, now that we have confirmed that we are all agreeable, and know that the matches are me with Hermione, Daphne with Harry, and Pansy with Ron, what exactly will we have to do?" asked Theo.

It was Hermione who answered, meeting his eyes, and thinking to herself that she was happy that he used first names. It seemed friendlier than using surnames. "I've been researching ancient bonding rituals. We will first have to brew a potion, it takes two moon cycles to complete. It has to be started at midnight on the night of a full moon and will require a drop of blood from each of us. On the afternoon of 1 May, we will make our way to Merlin's pool. Once we are there, we will need to prepare a circle for the rituals. We will use half of the potion mixed with the juice of a certain type of berry. This will create a kind of ritual paint. We will need to paint a rune circle on the floor of the cavern and purify the ritual room. We will reserve the unused potion for the final ritual."

"At midnight, we will begin the first bonding ceremony. It must happen precisely at midnight because that is when the Final Battle began. Pansy and Ron will go first, as Ron destroyed the first Horcrux during the war, and I think that order will be important. Theo and I will be next, sometime around two a.m., as I destroyed the next. Finally, Harry and Daphne will begin around four a.m. We will need to watch the time closely in order to make sure that we are completing the final ritual as the sun rises. That time of year, sunrise will be shortly before six. Sunrise is significant because it was just as the sun began to rise that Harry ended the final part of Voldemort's soul. So, sunrise is our deadline to destroy the curse."

"Wait", interrupted Theo, I have questions. "First, explain the Horcrux thing."

Hermione explained that Voldemort had seven, each was a fragment of his soul concealed in a different object or being in some cases. She went on to explain what they did and touched on how they were created, then she explained who destroyed each one. She explained that even though Harry had destroyed the first one during second year, that she felt the last bit of soul, the one inside of Voldemort had been more significant, thus creating her reasoning with the timing of the bonding ceremony. When she finished, Pansy, Daphne, and Theo all looked horrified.

Theo spoke again, " I had no idea. That bastard was far more horrendous than I could have imagined, and unfortunately, I have first-hand experience with how abominable he could be. But... wait, you said that Longbottom killed the snake, and it was a Horcrux. Why isn't he included in this?"

Hermione was impressed with the way Theo's mind worked. She had known that he was intelligent, but most of her friends wouldn't have caught this. Harry and Ron, who lived, and breathed the destruction of the Horcruxes, never considered that Neville should have a role in all of this. " I actually looked into having Neville participate," Hermione replied. " However, he wasn't included in the prophecy and he didn't have a 100% match. His highest match was 99.9 % which is a very high level of compatibility, but not a soulmate. In fact, the six of us were the only people out of everyone tested, which was well over a thousand, who had a soulmate. That can't be a coincidence, especially combined with the words of the prophecy."

She shook her head, "Sorry, I got off track for a moment, back to Neville. During my research, I discovered that he has an uncle, a blood relative, who was marked during the first war. It doesn't matter what side you fought on, or if you fought at all, if you are related by blood to a death eater, you are one of the cursed."

"According to my research, aunt and uncle are the most distant relations that matter. The Weasleys have a first cousin who was marked, and Bill and Fleur Weasley were able to have a magical child. They are also expecting their second."

"One last question," said Theo.

Hermione smiled at him, "Okay, Let's have it."

"What do the bonding rituals entail?"

Hermione sighed, she hoped that this wasn't going to come up yet. She had wanted everyone to have a chance to get to know each other better before this discussion. Oh well, no choice. She had to answer him. She looked at him, blushing slightly and said quietly, "Sex magic, each couple will have to perform sex rituals after their formal bonding ceremony."

Silence, she was met by complete silence at this admission. She hadn't even told Harry and Ron this part yet. She expected another outburst. Instead, Theo, who seemed to be good at being the voice of reason, met Hermione's eyes briefly and said, "This has been quite a lot for everyone to take in." Daphne and Pansy nodded their agreement. "I think we should all go home and get some rest, it's getting late. We will have more time for discussions later."

Hermione nodded her agreement, and added, " We have until 2 May to get used to this. That's about 10 months from now. The six of us should probably try to get to know each other. If everyone is free on Saturday evening, we could meet at my flat for dinner and drinks. We can continue this discussion and start to get to know each other better then." She was a little surprised when everyone quickly agreed, but let them know that she would owl them all with the details.

They started to say goodbye when Kingsley interrupted them, "Wait a moment, please. I know that this is a lot to consider. It will change the course of your lives forever. However, I have to ask all of you to keep this completely confidential. I realize that it will probably come out in May when the six of you turn up married to each other, but I have to ask you to keep it quiet, tell no one who isn't in this room without the approval of everyone who is in this room. Understand, permission will not be granted because someone wants to tell a family member or friend. We will only bring someone else in if they are necessary for the success of this endeavor. Any meetings with this group or a portion of this group that need to be held in this office will, like this meeting, take place outside of business hours. This will prevent speculation from ministry employees and leaks to the media."

He looked around at the group, and seemed to consider his words carefully before continuing, "If I may, I would also like to offer a bit of advice." At the nods around him, Kingsley went on, "date each other, hang out in a group, spend the next 10 months having a wonderful time. You may not have much of a choice, but from what I know about soulmate spells, if you put in an effort, your relationships will flourish. You are literally destined to be together. I'll also confide something in the six of you," Kingsley paused, looking at each of them in turn. " I provided my own blood sample. I didn't have a 100% match, but you better believe that I will be attempting to get to know the lady who was my closest match. Now, go home and get some rest. Goodbye, everyone."


	4. Chapter 4

Notes:

I want to thank everyone for reading and leaving such wonderful reviews. I love reading all of them!

Grammarly was my Beta

Chapter 4

Saturday evening, Hermione was setting everything up and waiting for her guests to arrive. She liked to cook and enjoyed entertaining, but she was nervous about how tonight would go. Regardless of the outcome, this was their future, so they needed to find a way to make it work. She had prepared a creamy baked chicken dish with sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese. She had fluffy mashed potatoes, sauteed string beans, and a simple salad to go along with it. She had a couple of bottles of white wine and some beer chilling in the fridge. She began the preparation for dessert. She was ready, she could do this.

She had just finished prepping the dessert for the oven when she heard the Floo activate. She looked up as Harry, followed by Ron stepped into the room. She decided, after seeing Ron's face, that he needed a bit of a pep talk. "Ron, this is our future. We don't have a choice. Please promise that you will genuinely try to get along with everyone... especially Pansy." Ron grunted at her but nodded.

Just then, the Floo came to life again and Theo, followed closely by Daphne, then Pansy arrived. Theo surprised Hermione by walking over and greeting her by placing a kiss on her hand, followed by a chaste peck on her cheek and offering a bottle of wine that he brought. " I didn't know what you were serving. If this doesn't work well, we can save it for another time."

She looked down at the label and smiled. It was one of her favorite brands of Chardonnay. She didn't splurge on it often because of the price. She looked at Theo and said, " Thank you, this is actually one of my favorites, and luckily, it will match quite well with what I'm serving."

Hermione asked everyone to join her at the table. At first, it was too quiet, only the sound of the clinking dinnerware could be heard. Finally, Pansy broke the ice by saying, " Hermione, this is all absolutely delicious, please tell me who catered, I must use them for my next dinner party."

At this, Hermione broke into uncontrollable giggles. It was rude, she knew, but she couldn't help it. Finally, she managed to stop and say, "I didn't have it catered. I cooked everything myself." Pansy and Daphne looked dumbfounded and Theo impressed. They all chimed in to say how delicious everything tasted. Ron and Harry used to Hermione's cooking, mumbled their agreement but continued to eat.

After the comment about the caterer, the conversation was much easier. They discussed what everyone had been doing in the past five years. It was common knowledge that Harry and Ron were Aurors, and Hermione's job had been revealed during their meeting with Kingsley, but Hermione, Harry, and Ron knew nothing about the other three. Through their discussion, they learned that Theo had taken over his father's business, Nott Corporation, and had spent the last five years trying to turn the company around. It had been heavily mired in illegal operations, and he had shut all of that down in favor of legitimate businesses.

Daphne explained that she did fund-raising and event planning. Much of her work was unpaid because it was for charity, but she hadn't needed the money, and she was fulfilled in the ability to give back to the community.

When asked which charities she worked with, she had rattled off an impressive list. It was clear to the others that even though she didn't have a traditional job, she was quite busy with philanthropic work.

The most surprising answer came from Pansy. She explained that instead of returning to Hogwarts, she had studied fashion for a few years at a muggle school of design in France. Since returning to England, she had worked hard on her designs and was opening a small boutique in the muggle world. She was planning to open her shop very soon. She had already finished stocking it and had hired a staff. She hoped to one day expand to the wizarding world, but she wasn't sure that she would be welcomed in Diagon Alley because of who she was.

Halfway through the meal, Hermione excused herself to put dessert in the oven. When the oven timer beeped, she excused herself again. For the second time that night, Theo surprised her with his actions. Following her into the kitchen, he asked, "What can I do to help?"

She smiled up at him and said, " You can grab the berries, whipped cream, and champagne out of the fridge, and pour everyone a glass of the champagne." She pointed to a cupboard to indicate where she kept the champagne flutes as she bent to take the cakes out of the oven. As he poured the champagne, she plated the dessert. Each plate had an individual molten chocolate cake which she topped with whipped cream and a few of the berries.

"Wow, where did you learn to cook like this?" inquired Theo.

"My mum always enjoyed cooking. She loved entertaining and feeding people. I learned a lot of it from her, but in the months following the war when everyone was so sad, I took some muggle cooking classes. I needed an escape from reality. No one in the muggle world knew who I was. No one looked at me and saw a celebrity, no one approached me there. I was just another normal girl. Those classes are what got me through the grief."

He smiled, "I'm glad you were able to find a healthy way to deal with it all. So many of us almost self-destructed." Hermione met his eyes and saw the sadness there. Sensing that she was going to ask him about what he went through, he shook his head and said, "Later, there will be time for that later. Now, let's get these delicious looking cakes to our friends so we can enjoy them while they are warm."

After dessert, they took their drinks into Hermione's lounge. Pansy and Ron immediately claimed the individual armchairs that flanked a window. This left the large sofa and the love seat. Daphne perched on one end of the large sofa and Harry sprawled out across most of the rest of it, as he often did when he was at her flat. This left the love seat for Hermione and Theo. Hermione didn't mind. She was really enjoying getting to know him better, and if she was honest, she found him very attractive as well. He was tall with broad shoulders and lean muscles in his chest and arms. His hair was a nice sandy brown color and his eyes were an amazing, brilliant, sapphire blue. She wanted to stare into those beautiful eyes and study the facets, but she would be mortified to be caught doing anything of the sort.

The easy conversation from the dinner table seemed to segue into an awkward silence. They needed an activity, thought Hermione. She briefly considered suggesting a drinking game to loosen them up, but quickly disregarded that idea. Drinking games could get out of hand far too quickly and they were a little juvenile anyway. Coming up with what she thought would be a relaxing activity, she spoke up, "Would everyone like to watch a video on the telly?" Harry and Ron immediately agreed, but the others wanted to know what a video was. Quickly explaining in simple terms, Hermione moved over to the console that held her telly. Opening it, she revealed her telly, DVD player and shelves full of DVDs. "Harry, help me pick. Underworld, or Die Another Day?"

"Underworld" decided Harry, " It's always fun to discuss the misconceptions that muggles have about the magical world."

Hermione laughed and nodded. She explained to the others that Underworld was a video about vampires and werewolves and it was purely for entertainment. Everyone nodded, so she set up the video, turned off the lights and moved back to her spot next to Theo. It started, and soon everyone was glued to the screen. Suddenly, she felt Theo shift and he was leaning in to ask a question in her ear. She answered quietly but noticed that he didn't move away. A few minutes later, he reached out and took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. He whispered again, "Is this okay?" She smiled at him and nodded as she shifted closer, leaning into his shoulder. Before the video ended, they had cuddled into each other. Hermione thought to herself that it felt extremely nice to sit with him like this. It felt comfortable.

When the movie was over, she got up to turn on the lights and had to stifle a laugh. Harry and Daphne had also moved closer. They weren't cuddling, or even holding hands but their arms rested lightly against each other's. Ron and Pansy were a different story altogether. They were still seated in their individual chairs, leaning away from each other, with their arms crossed.

Looking around, and smiling at everyone, Daphne said, " I had a lovely time. Thank you so much for inviting us. I think that we should continue to get together like this as often as possible. If everyone is free next Saturday, I was thinking that I can host at Greengrass Manor. We can have lunch, and then enjoy the swimming pool for the rest of the afternoon."

Hermione answered first, "That sounds like a lovely afternoon, but with all the craziness, I'm just realizing that next Saturday is Harry's birthday," she chuckled a bit. "Judging by the looks on Harry and Ron's faces, they forgot too. We don't usually do anything formal for his birthday anymore. We haven't really gone to a club or had an actual party or anything like that in a few years. Daphne, are you okay with celebrating Harry's birthday that afternoon at your house?"

Daphne quickly replied, "Of course, as long as Harry is alright with that plan. It's his birthday." she smiled at Harry, and waited for him to okay the plan.

Harry smiled and nodded eagerly. "My birthday doesn't have to be a big deal. An afternoon swimming with you lot sounds perfect. Can everyone make it?"

When everyone said that they would be there, Daphne said, "Wonderful, plan to come around noon. Don't forget to bring your swimsuits."

Everyone started saying goodnight. Daphne and Pansy went first. Hermione could tell that Theo was hanging back, waiting to speak to her, but Harry and Ron seemed uncertain if they should go with him still there or not. Hermione solved the problem by telling them that she would owl them tomorrow, saying goodnight, and shooing them through the Floo.

When she looked back at Theo, he was laughing, "You really know how to handle the two of them!"

"Of course I do, I've been doing it since I was twelve," Hermione replied with a smile.

Theo reached for her hand as he spoke again, " I really enjoyed tonight. The meal was delicious, and I loved watching the video. I would like to watch another one again sometime. I can't believe I've been missing out on that all these years."

Hermione nodded, "You are welcome to come back for movie night anytime. If you want, we can go to a movie at the cinema sometime soon too."

"What's a cinema?" Hermione explained what a cinema was and Theo looked excited, "Wow, that sounds fantastic! I definitely want to do that soon!"

He paused, " Hermione, are you free for brunch tomorrow?"

She smiled up at him shyly, and said, "I am free. I would love to go to brunch with you."

He returned the smile and said, "Well, then it's time for me to say goodnight, but I'm very much looking forward to seeing you in the morning."

"Goodnight Theo, I'm looking forward to seeing you too." He leaned in and lightly pressed his lips to hers in a nice, but perfectly chaste kiss then pulled her close into a hug that made her melt. He released her, stepped through the Floo, and was gone.

She stood frozen, touching her fingers to her lips for a moment, realizing that a simple peck on the lips had given her butterflies. That was certainly new. Finally, she went into her bedroom to get ready for bed and decide what she was going to wear tomorrow. She smiled to herself, if tonight was any indication, she could very much enjoy being with Theo. She was unquestionably captivated by him and he seemed to be equally interested in her.

As she lay in bed that night, Hermione thought about her past relationships. There hadn't been many, to be honest. Her most serious relationship had been with Victor. They had kept in touch throughout the years, and once the war was over, he had begun expressing an interest in beginning a relationship with her. At first, she wasn't sure. She was back in school and had no interest in a long-distance relationship. She was still healing and needed to focus on herself. By the time she finished school and started at the ministry, Victor had moved to England and was playing for the Falmouth Falcons.

Finally, after months of him asking, Hermione relented and agreed to give their relationship a shot. It was nice. They were good together, but in the end, they just weren't in love with each other.

After a year of dating, Victor's contract with the Falcons was up. He had decided that he missed home, and wanted to move back to Bulgaria. He asked her to move with him. When she realized that she wasn't committed enough to their relationship to make that kind of sacrifice, she had told him no and broken it off with him.

She was sad, they had been comfortable together, but it wasn't enough. They talked everything through, and he agreed that he cared about her, but it wasn't enough for him to want to stay and make it work. They had parted on good terms and remained friends.

After Victor, there had been a string of meaningless affairs. She would go out with men a few times but always kept them at arm's length. She had tried having a friends with benefits kind of arrangement with Terry Boot. It was nice for a while. He was intelligent and good in bed, but when he expressed the desire to have an actual relationship with her, she pulled away. She hadn't been on a date since then, and that had been over a year ago.

This was a completely different experience for her. She had always wanted to get married and assumed that she would eventually meet someone who made her want to form a real relationship. She hated the fact that this felt manufactured, and that the relationship wouldn't have a chance to form naturally, but she knew she would have to get over that in order to keep an open mind about this whole thing.

She forced herself to stop the negative thoughts. She had made her decision and she wasn't going to change her mind. She had to remain positive throughout this experience. There was no reason that she couldn't enjoy the progression of their relationship, even if it wasn't happening the way she had always assumed. Her mind was her own worst enemy in this. She had to find a way to stop trying to analyze every little thing and just relax. She had relaxed and truly enjoyed Theo's company that evening. As long as she didn't overthink things... Her last conscious thought before she fell asleep was that she needed to stop thinking so much and let her heart guide her actions.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next morning, Hermione woke early, excited about her date with Theo. She showered, tamed her curls into soft waves, lightly applied make-up, and then stepped into a pretty summer dress. It was a simple white sundress with bold black flowers and a bright pink belt. She paired it with bright pink sandals and simple silver jewelry. She felt attractive, but not overdone. Just as she finished dressing, she heard her Floo come to life. Thinking that Theo must be early, she walked into the other room, and saw, not Theo, but Harry and Ron. "Hi, I wasn't expecting you. I'm sorry, but I have plans in a few minutes."

"Plans with who? What are you so dressed up for?" asked Ron.

"Theo asked me to go to brunch. He should be here any minute. That's why he wanted to wait for everyone else to leave last night."

Ron raised his eyebrows, "Moving a little quickly, aren't you... you were looking a little cozy over there last night, don't think we didn't notice that..."

"Ron, stop while you can mate, you're going down a bad path," warned Harry.

Hermione ignored Harry and turned to face Ron, "For your information Ronald, we don't exactly have a choice, but I am doing everything I can to make the most of this situation. I want to be happy with the person I have to spend my life with. You should really do the same! And, just so you know, I actually like him. I genuinely enjoyed his company last night." Hermione paused and took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself. When she spoke again it was in a lower voice, "Ron, you always do this. You would be happier if you would just stop worrying about what I'm doing. You should be spending your time getting to know Pansy better. We have to spend the rest of our lives with them. We are going to be bonded, married, together for life. You are going to be with Pansy whether you like it or not. Please, for both of your sakes, try to find happiness. The soulmate spell matched you for a reason. I think if you would spend time getting to know her, you would find that you have things in common. Please, Ron, try. Do it for yourself. Do you really want to be miserable?"

During her rant, Hermione didn't hear the Floo. Harry did, but he knew it was best not to interrupt her when she got going like this. He motioned for Theo to wait until she was done. When she finally stopped yelling, he approached and said with a slightly cocky grin, "I'm awfully glad to hear that, because I like you too."

Hermione blushed, and said, " I'm so sorry, Theo, I didn't hear you come in. My two uninvited guests were just leaving."

Harry kissed her cheek and told her to have fun. Ron huffed but wisely said nothing as he allowed Harry to push him through the Floo.

When Harry and Ron were gone, Theo turned to Hermione and presented her with a lovely bouquet of purple irises, "You look beautiful."

Thank you, Theo. You look very nice as well. Thank you for the flowers, they are lovely. I need to go put them in some water." Hermione told him as she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. Smiling at him, she walked into her kitchen to grab a vase.

As she filled the vase with water, Hermione admired her flowers. She didn't know much about pureblood courtship rituals, but she knew that many things were communicated with flowers. She didn't know all of the meanings but she knew that irises symbolized hope. Her tummy flipped a little at the thought. She was happy that they were on the same page. She hoped that they could make this work too. This small thing had already done much to erase the doubts that she had been having. Maybe this could progress naturally after all.

Theo and Hermione didn't have trouble with conversation through their shared brunch. Theo had brought her to a restaurant in muggle London. This allowed them to speak freely once Hermione had surreptitiously set up some privacy spells. They found that they had a lot in common, and enjoyed each other's company.

Hermione wanted to learn more about Theo. She had only learned very basic information during dinner the night before. After sipping her tea, she asked, "What does your company do?"

"It's predominantly real estate. We own buildings that are leased out to businesses, mostly. We used to be involved in a little bit of everything. When my father ran the company, he sourced potions ingredients and owned a few businesses, some located in the magical world, but surprisingly, many were in the muggle world as well. When I took over, I stopped sourcing the potions ingredients and closed the businesses. Unfortunately, neither of those aspects of the company were exactly legal. The potions ingredients were all either highly regulated or illegal. The businesses were mostly brothels, one in Knockturn Alley, while the others were in the muggle world. Neither were things that I wished to be a part of. I'm trying my best to make the family name respectable again."

He gazed over the table at her smiling and continued, "My favorite project isn't actually profitable. As soon as I cleaned out the illegal businesses, I found myself with a couple of large buildings that were completely empty. I had them renovated and turned into an orphanage and children's center. The orphanage takes in children who have lost their parents. They have a safe, happy place to grow up. I know that their parents can never be replaced but at least I know that they will all have a good place to grow up. The children's center offers free childcare during the day."

Theo sighed before continuing, "My friends and I were raised by house elves, and while they are wonderful, not every family has elves. Also, it's a very lonely childhood to have the elves as your only companions. Children need to be around other children and have loving adults in their lives. I was afraid that with the changing family dynamics after the war that even children who had family to live with would be abused or neglected if there was nowhere safe for them to go while their caregiver worked. That's why I created both the orphanage and the children's center. "

Hermione reached across and touched his hand, "Wow, Theo, I had no idea. Thank you for helping all of those children and families. I would love to visit one day, and I know if Harry knew it existed he would want to go too. Will it be okay to visit soon?"

"Of course, you can visit anytime. The children would love a visit from any of you. They would be thrilled to meet the famous Harry Potter or Hermione Granger." He paused and sipped his drink, "Now, enough about me, I want to know more about your work. It's very interesting. Can you tell me how you managed to figure out there was a birth problem? I know you had been collecting data for a while, but how did you discover the problem in the first place?"

Hermione nodded vigorously, "I started tracking the birth rates because of historical data, actually." Theo nodded to encourage her to continue. "After all major wars in history, there has been a baby boom. People get carried away celebrating after the war is over, and babies are created. Only, that didn't happen this time. There were a few, Bill and Fleur Weasley's daughter is one, but there were really only a handful of births in the years following the war. I noticed this phenomenon right after I started at the DoM. I tracked it on my own for the next year, before I started formally interviewing couples and healers. So, by the time the prophecy was made, I had almost 5 years of data. It didn't take long for me to put two and two together and realize what we were up against."

Theo smiled when she stopped talking. He leaned across the table, took her hand and said, "You are amazing. Of all the people that I could have been matched with, I'm glad it was you. I know that all of this has happened suddenly, and none of us feel that we have much of a choice given the circumstances, but I want you to know that I'm truly happy that it was you. I want us to take the next nine months and really get to know each other. I want a relationship with you before we need to bond. I want to court you properly. Are you okay with that? If I'm being too pushy, or if you want this to slow down, please just say so. You won't hurt my feelings," said Theo, suddenly looking a little unsure.

Hermione gave him a bright smile, "Yes! Those are the exact things that I'm thinking and feeling. I'm happy that I'm matched with you. I'm thrilled that you are intelligent and kind. I'm excited that you want to take the time to build a relationship." She paused for a moment to think this through. She had never considered a courtship, but, of course, Theo would have been raised with that expectation. She decided to not overthink and just go with her gut. He needed to be happy too, " If a traditional courtship is something that will make you happy, I will gladly consent. I don't think it's too fast. Under different circumstances, it would probably feel too fast. However, given that we know with certainty that we are soulmates, and we don't exactly have years to slowly progress our relationship, I want us to just do what feels right. A courtship feels right, and I'm happy to take that step with you. I do hope that you will explain everything to me though, I don't know all of the rules or expectations."

Theo grinned back at her, "Thank you, I'm so glad that we are on the same page. This would be so much harder if we weren't." Looking around the restaurant, and down at his watch, Theo grimaced. " I would love to continue this conversation with you, but the restaurant staff will be a bit upset if we do it here. We've been here for nearly three hours. No other diners are left. Look, they've started to clear up around us."

Laughing now, Hermione said, " Why don't we go back to my flat. We can watch another movie if you like." Theo nodded in agreement, left the money for the check along with a generous tip on the table and stood. He pulled out her chair and took her arm before walking out of the restaurant together.

Back at Hermione's, they picked out a movie to watch, this time settling on Pirates of the Carribean. Hermione started the film and sat down next to Theo. This time, he wasted no time before snuggling her in close to his body. When the movie was over, they discussed it for a few minutes before Theo leaned in and kissed her, cupping her cheek gently with his hand. It started out light and sweet, then he lightly brushed his tongue against her lips. She sighed, and opened her mouth slightly, inviting his tongue in to meet hers. Kissing him was everything, it felt more right than anything had before. She could do this all day, easily getting lost in his kisses. Far too soon, he was pulling away and leaning back just for a gentle peck. "As much as I want this to continue, I want to do this right. I want to make sure that I do everything right with you. So, I think it's time for me to leave for today. Before I go, would you allow me to take you to dinner on Thursday night? I know we are getting together with everyone on Saturday, but I don't want to wait that long to see you again."

Hermione smiled, "Dinner on Thursday night would be lovely."

Theo grinned back at her, "Wonderful, I will owl you later with the details." With that, he leaned down and kissed her once more before stepping into her fireplace and flooing away.

When her fireplace was empty again, Hermione took a moment to gather her thoughts. She had always thought that women who acted giddy over a new relationship were being a bit silly. Now, she realized that she simply hadn't experienced the kind of relationship that caused those giddy feelings. This was new territory for her.

True to her word, Hermione called Harry and Ron once Theo left. "That must have been some brunch," snorted Harry as he and Ron arrived back at her flat. "We left you here at 10, and it's now nearly 4, care to explain?" He asked while smirking at her.

Hermione ignored the teasing and replied, "We had a wonderful time. We stayed at the restaurant talking until 1:00. Then we came back and watched Pirates of the Caribbean. I really enjoy his company. We actually made plans for dinner Thursday night as well."

Harry nodded, and smiled, "I'm truly glad that things are going so well for you Hermione. You deserve to be happy."

"I'm glad too. What about the two of you? Any plans with Daphne or Pansy?"

Once again, Harry spoke up while Ron remained silent, "I have dinner plans with Daphne on Friday. I want to do this right too. What I've learned about Daphne so far, I've liked. I think we all have a chance at happiness if we put in a little effort," This last part was said pointedly while looking at Ron. Ron either didn't get the point or he was ignoring them because he still didn't speak.

Finally, Hermione asked, "Ron, are you planning to take Pansy out soon?"

Ron shook his head. "I still can't stomach the idea of being with her."

Hermione did her best not to glare at her friend, but she wasn't successful. Not wanting to sound like a broken record, she avoided repeating her earlier argument and tried a different tact. Smirking to herself as she came up with the only thing that might work, she raised her eyebrows at Ron and said, "Think of your mum's reaction if you turn up bonded to Pansy without ever bringing her around or talking about her. Imagine what that would be like when you consider ignoring Pansy until May!"

Ron paled a bit at the mention of his mum's reaction. He hung his head, "You're right, I know you are, but I spent my whole life hating Pansy and everyone else like her. It's just hard to think about dating her, much less marrying her. I know I have to do it, but I can't seem to make myself go through with it."

Hermione and Harry exchanged a smug look that Ron didn't see. Hermione had finally found a way to get through to him. She hoped that the threat of Molly Weasley's wrath was enough to make Ron follow through on his promise to try things with Pansy.


	6. Chapter 6

I truly appreciate all of the comments that I have received. Thank you for taking the time to review my story.

As usual, the characters don't belong to me.

Grammarly was my Beta

...

Chapter 6

The week seemed to drag for Hermione. She was continuing to research bonding rites and rituals, but she was running out of books at the Ministry Library, and in the DoM Library. She hadn't found what she needed at the Ministry, and she was almost certain that the variety of publications that she needed wouldn't be found there. The type of spells and rituals that they would need were not common or Ministry approved. What she needed was access to the private libraries of some of the older families. The Malfoy Library would be ideal, but she wasn't ready to answer the questions that would go along with asking for unlimited access. Draco would most likely allow her to use his library, but he would want to know what she was researching. She knew that she could give him the standard answer that they had been using, and claim that she was doing research on the fertility issues the wizarding world was experiencing. However, since he and Astoria were one of the couples who were suffering from infertility problems, he would most likely want to help. She knew that Draco would be an asset, but she wasn't ready to bring him in just yet.

The only redeeming quality about her week thus far had been the constant exchange of owls with Theo. Smiling to herself, she thought of the first missive from Theo.

_Dearest Hermione, _

_I had the most wonderful time with you today. I am so thankful for the circumstances that have brought you into my life. I am eager to see you again on Thursday night. _

_To pass the time until I can see you again, I thought we could play a game of questions to get to know each other better. The rules are simple, ask a question that you would like me to answer, but only one that you are willing to answer yourself. Provide your answer after the question. I will do the same in return. Let's see how much we can learn about each other before our date on Thursday. _

_Here's my first question:_

_What form does your Patronus take, and what is the memory that you use to cast it?_

_For the longest, I couldn't cast a Patronus. I didn't have a memory that was truly happy until I opened the orphanage. The first day that the children arrived, I observed joyful expressions on their faces when they realized that they now had a nice place to live. At that moment, I felt such peace and joy that I immediately knew that the memory I created that day would be more than enough to produce a Patronus. That evening, I was exhausted from the events of the day, but when I returned home I was compelled to attempt to cast a Patronus. I was able to succeed on the first try. It was the happiest moment of my life, until now. Being with you, I am creating more of those truly happy memories. I cannot wait to create a lifetime of wonderful memories with you. _

_My Patronus form is a little unusual. I researched it completely because I was curious about what it could symbolize. My Patronus is a Penguin. They stand for self-discipline, determination, and an ability to overcome struggles. Another fun fact about Penguins is that they mate for life._

_I'm looking forward to your answer and to seeing what question you will have for me._

_ Yours, _

_ Theo_

Hermione had responded eagerly and they had corresponded all week, sending multiple messages each day. She was thrilled that he had taken the initiative to come up with a creative way for them to get to know each other better. They had kept the questions on the lighter side, both avoiding the subject of the war. Hermione was well aware that they would need to discuss it eventually, but it wasn't time for that yet.

...

Finally, it was Thursday evening, and she was getting ready for her dinner date with Theo. The letters had been a fun distraction, but she still couldn't wait to see him in person. She knew that she couldn't allow herself to overanalyze what was happening between them. When she stopped to really think about it, the fact that everything seemed so effortless with him frightened her. She hadn't expected a relationship with him to happen this easily. Shaking her head, she pushed the thoughts from her mind and began to dress.

Theo had told her to dress nicely, but nothing formal. She decided on a little black dress that accentuated her curves. She paired it with a pair of teal pumps for a pop of color and kept her jewelry and make-up simple. She pulled all of her hair to one side and secured it in a low, loose chignon. She was ready when Theo arrived through the Floo a few minutes later.

Theo stopped and stared, "You look absolutely stunning, Hermione."

She smiled shyly up at him. He looked fantastic in a pair of black trousers paired with a light blue shirt and striped tie. "Thank you, you look rather dashing, yourself." Theo held out a small velvet box. She took it with shaking hands and looked at him questioningly.

He took a deep breath, and said, "We discussed a traditional courtship. Jewelry is a big part of that custom. Wearing this will signify the intent to progress to engagement, and one day, marriage." Theo paused, and looked more nervous than she had seen him, "If you are still okay with proceeding with a courtship with me, I would be honored if you would consent to wear this."

She opened the box and gasped. Inside was a silver necklace with small round diamonds placed at regular intervals along the chain, and a beautiful diamond, and sapphire pendant. The diamond was large, round, and seemingly flawless. It was surrounded by tiny sapphires the color of Theo's eyes. It was beautiful. Hermione smiled softly at Theo and gazed into his eyes as she spoke, "Theo, it's perfect, I love it. Of course, I accept your offer of courtship, and everything that goes along with it..."

Theo cut her off suddenly by pulling her into a passionate kiss. She sighed, and responded eagerly, wrapping her arms around him and running her fingers through his soft hair at the base of his neck.

When he pulled away, she said, "Will you help me put it on?" He nodded and reached for the necklace, so she quickly removed the jewelry she was wearing and allowed him to clasp it around her neck.

"It's Goblin made, and imbued with several protective charms," explained Theo.

"I love it, thank you! I'll wear it always. Let me go and put this away in my bedroom and grab some earrings that will go with my new necklace," said Hermione, gesturing to the discarded jewelry in her hand. "As soon as I do that, we can go."

Theo kissed her once more, then released her so she could go into her bedroom. When she returned, he noticed that she was wearing a pair of diamond-like studs. They were very good fakes, but he had been taught from a young age how to determine the authenticity of gemstones. He made a mental note to replace them soon with the real thing.

Their date was lovely. Theo took her to one of the nicer wizarding restaurants in Diagon Alley. He had requested a more secluded table, but they weren't hidden from other diners. Hermione noticed that people weren't being subtle about their interest in the unexpected couple. Glancing at Theo, she noticed that he had also realized that they were the source of many conversations in the establishment. Seeing that he looked uncomfortable, she reached across and took his hand, squeezing it as she apologized and explained that she often got unwanted attention when she was out in public. She told him that people were being much more blatant in their examination of her than usual, but this, unfortunately, wasn't anything abnormal. He quickly told her that she had nothing to apologize for and he had assumed that seeing him with her was the reason for the gossip and didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. Laughing, they decided that they wouldn't allow the curious crowd to ruin their evening. After that, their conversation was easy, as usual.

During dessert, Hermione quickly cast some privacy charms and broached the subject of private libraries. She explained that she really needed access to the libraries of some of the older families in order to continue her research. He immediately offered her unlimited access to his library and said that he was sure that both Daphne and Pansy would allow her to use theirs as well. He mentioned that the Malfoy Library would likely be her best bet. She agreed and explained her concerns about needing to tell Draco exactly why she needed his library. Theo looked thoughtful and told her that he would help her come up with something to tell Draco.

As they exited the restaurant hand in hand, flashbulbs went off around them. Hermione groaned, "I hate reporters. Why can't they leave us alone?"

Theo chuckled and replied, "I'm sure that the two of us together is front-page news. Someone in the restaurant must have tipped them off. I'm guessing that we can expect to be the big story for the Prophet tomorrow. I can see the headline now, The Gryffindor Princesses Spotted With The Son Of A Death Eater..."

Hermione snorted at this, then looked serious, "Theo, please know that's not how I see you. You aren't your father. You are so much more than that."

He smiled down at her, then said with a mischievous expression, "Let's give them something to talk about," as he pulled her into an embrace and snogged her senseless. When he released her, he put his arm around her shoulder, and said, "I know that you have work tomorrow, but would you like to come to Nott Manor tonight to see the library? While you are there, I can set the wards to allow you entrance, then you can come and use it anytime you like."

Hermione's eyes lit up with delight, "Are you serious? You don't mind?"

Theo laughed, I see that the promise of unlimited library access gets you just as excited as jewelry."

Hermione laughed and responded, "Oh Theo, the promise of a library gets me much more excited than jewelry. The reason that I love this necklace more than the offer of library access is only that you gave it to me, and what it symbolizes."

They were both still laughing as Theo apparated them into the entrance hall of Nott Manor. When they arrived, he led her immediately to the library. When he opened the library doors, she stopped, frozen in place, "Theo, this is amazing. It's almost as large as the library at Hogwarts. You've done it now, you're never getting rid of me."

...

"So, he showed you library, eh," said Ron, waggling his eyebrows up and down suggestively. "What's that, a new euphemism I haven't heard of?"

Hermione crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked at Ron with a smirk, "Wow, Ronald, using big words now. I didn't even know you knew what the word euphemism meant."

"Haha, very funny. Really though, explain the paper. The two of you certainly looked cozy in those pictures. The Prophet is having a field day trying to come up with how the two of you got together," replied Ron.

Ron and Harry had shown up in her office that morning with mischievous grins. They presented her with the morning Prophet and a go-cup of coffee.

She glanced at the front page of the paper and chuckled softly, "Theo was almost spot on with his guess of what the headline would say. Those vultures don't know when to stop." The headline read, 'Gryffindor's Golden Girl, Canoodling with Son of Death Eater.' It was accompanied by photos of her and Theo exiting the restaurant, snogging, and apparating away with Theo's arm around her protectively.

"Well, I'm waiting for your answer," said Ron, as Harry looked on, a wide grin on his face.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "It's called a date, Ron. You should consider trying it. I had a really nice time."

Harry snorted, "That's clear from your public behavior. It makes one wonder what you got up to in private. I'm with Ron, a library tour is a good way to get you alone... no guesswork needed there on what gets you worked up."

"Ugh," interrupted Ron. "Don't talk about what gets Hermione worked up. I don't want to think about it."

Harry, looking at Hermione questioningly, interjected, "Hermione, is that a new necklace? I've never seen that before?"

Ron sputtered as he noticed it too, "Wh... Wh... Is that what I think it is?"

"Well, Ronald, that depends on what you think it is."

"Don't get cheeky with me Mione, that's courtship jewelry. Did you know that when he gave it to you?"

Hermione's face clouded with anger. Harry noticed and took a few steps back. Ron was clueless as usual. "Ronald, for your information we discussed it in detail before he bought it for me. Then we discussed it again last night, and he asked my permission...again before he put it on me. He made sure that I knew the implications of what wearing this would mean. He asked for a formal courtship and I happily accepted. Not that it's any of your business," said Hermione in a dangerously quiet voice.

Ron looked a little admonished, but shrugged, "I had to check, didn't I. You weren't raised in this world. I'm just looking out for you."

Hermione seemed mollified by this. Calming immediately, she smiled softly at Ron, "Thank you for looking out for me, but honestly, Theo is a genuinely nice person. I don't think he would take advantage of me like that. He wants this to work as much as I do."

Ron nodded thoughtfully, and asked, "Hermione, why are you so willing to go through with this. It doesn't seem like you at all. You've always been one to think everything through, and cautiously analyze every detail before making this kind of life-altering decision."

Hermione sighed, "I honestly don't know. When I first figured everything out, I panicked. I don't know if the two of you realized, but I basically pulled away from everyone following the Memorial Ball. I took that time and worked through my thoughts and feelings. I know that the three of us have already made countless sacrifices for the magical world, and this seems to be too much to ask," she paused and looked at them. "After really thinking it through, I decided that I loved the magical world, and the people in it too much to let them continue to suffer because of something that I could fix. Yes, it's a lifetime commitment for us, but in the end, the reward is worth it."

She looked directly at Ron, "Another thing, I do truly trust the power and validity of the soulmate spell. I fully believe that these are the people that we are meant to be with, and we will be happy with them if we make an effort. I know I keep saying that, but I believe it with my whole heart."

Ron looked down for a few moments, then nodded, "Okay, I'll try. I can't make any promises, but I'll try. One other thing though, why did you agree to a courtship? You aren't a pureblood, I'm sure that's something that you never considered before. Why agree to it?"

Hermione smiled at this, "I agreed to the courtship simply because it made Theo happy. You have to understand, there are two sides to this. It's just as difficult for them as it is for us. I want to make sure that I put in the same amount of effort that he does. Courtship is a step that he's always assumed that he would take before marriage, it helps normalize this for him, and honestly, it's such a small thing compared to what we are all already doing. Why not consent? I'm not against it. It doesn't harm me in any way to agree, and it made him happy. That's why I accepted so easily when he asked."

Ron nodded, a bit absently as if he was processing what she told him. Harry spoke up, "We're really excited for you Hermione. We just want you to be happy. That's all we've ever wanted."

Hermione pulled them into a group hug, "I appreciate you looking out for me. Now, you need to be going. I have tons of work to do, and I've been chatting with you for too long now."

Harry and Ron exited her office, laughing. Some things would never change.

The rest of the day, Hermione spent continuing her research on the rituals that would be required to break the curse. She had borrowed a large stack of books from Theo's library. Finally, she found one small, handwritten journal that had some information that she could use. She would still need more, but this was extremely helpful. She read one line and gasped. She hadn't considered this. She would need to speak to everyone involved about this at once. Thankfully, she found it before it was too late...


	7. Chapter 7

Notes:

As usual, I don't own these characters.

Grammarly was my Beta.

I've read several comments asking about the other pairings in this story, so I wanted to address it. This story is Hermione centric. I have almost completed the story. All I have left to write is part of the last chapter and possibly an epilogue. There will be more about the other couples as the story progresses, but the main pairing is Hermione/Theo and there are only a few scenes that aren't from Hermione's point of view.

...

Chapter 7

The next day, Hermione arrived at Greengrass Manor. She was excited to see everyone and ready to enjoy a relaxing day at Daphne's pool, but she was a little nervous to discuss what she had discovered yesterday. It wasn't a problem, per se, but it would definitely add to everyone's level of commitment to doing this right.

Hermione was shown to the pool area by a sweet little house elf dressed in a tiny blue dress that was accessorized with a pearl necklace. She was always happy to see free elves, though she no longer pushed to make them free. She understood them better now and had learned to respect their wishes.

When she arrived, almost everyone was there. Harry was the only one who hadn't made it yet. As Hermione greeted everyone, she heard Daphne gasp, "Is that what I think it is?" gesturing to Hermione's necklace?

Theo greeted Hermione with a kiss, and answered for her with a huge smile on his face, "Yes, I asked Hermione to consent to a formal courtship, and she accepted. We are officially courting." Daphne and Pansy both squealed and congratulated the couple as they admired Hermione's stunning necklace.

Harry soon arrived and, everyone wished him a happy birthday. Then, they sat down to have some lunch. They kept the conversation light, as they ate. Daphne and Pansy wanted to know how many times Theo and Hermione had been out to have already progressed to a courtship. They admitted that it had, in fact, only been two dates, but they had owled all week as well. They found out that Daphne and Harry had gone out the previous night, so the conversation moved away from Theo and Hermione and on to them. Harry had seen how the Prophet latched onto the story about Theo and Hermione, so he had wisely taken Daphne out to a nice restaurant in muggle London. Afterward, they had enjoyed a walk through the park. Harry told them that he hadn't wanted to be hounded by reporters on their first date.

Hermione was happy to see that when speaking of their date, Daphne gazed at Harry with a soft smile on her face. She was quick to offer details of the outing and told the others that she had really enjoyed going into muggle London. She had only been into the muggle world a few times and was excited that she would get to experience that with Harry.

At that proclamation, Harry had reached over and taken her hand. Daphne blushed slightly at the action but smiled happily nonetheless. These small gestures made Hermione so excited for Harry. He had never seemed so relaxed in any relationship that he'd been in previously. After having love withheld during his formative years, he wasn't a very affectionate person. That was something that he had struggled with in past relationships. Seeing that he was freely touching Daphne in front of everyone made Hermione realize just how comfortable he already was with her. That alone made Hermione burst with happiness for her friend.

Wanting to move the attention away from him, Harry slyly asked, "Mione, did you happen to see the Prophet this morning?"

Hermione shook her head and answered, "No, I was in the middle of reading a journal for my research. I didn't have the chance before I needed to come here."

Harry smirked and asked if anyone else had seen it. Seeing everyone shake their heads, he continued, "Well, you were the subject of another front page-article."

"What? Why?" sputtered Hermione.

Harry chuckled, he was enjoying dragging this out, he knew something that she didn't, for once, "Apparently, someone spotted your lovely new jewelry. They enlarged those photos to show the necklace close up, and they've finally gotten a story about you correct. They've decided that you are in a courtship with Theo. Of course, Rita wrote the article this time, and she is making you look like some money-hungry gold digger."

Hermione seethed, "Ugh, I despise that woman. I should have squashed her when I had a chance. I could still turn her in, should I?"

The Slytherins wanted to know what Hermione was talking about. She laughed and explained everything about what happened during the Triwizard Championship. All of the lies that Rita reported, all the hate mail that she received, and finally, how she trapped the reporter in her Animagus form and kept her in a jar. Theo and Daphne looked stunned, and a little impressed. Pansy, however, looked incredibly sheepish, "Hermione, I'm really sorry about my part in all of that. I was horrid back then. I hope you can forgive me."

Hermione laughed and waved her off, "It's forgiven. If I can forgive Draco, and even become kind of friends with him, I can forgive you. Yes, you were a horrid cow back then, but he was the biggest prat I've ever met." Everyone enjoyed a good laugh over this.

When they finished lunch, Daphne's little elf brought out a delicious looking chocolate birthday cake for Harry. They sang happy birthday and passed him his gifts. Harry was a little embarrassed. Although he truly appreciated the fact that he now had people who loved and cared for him, he still hated being the center of attention. He thanked everyone for the gifts and for celebrating his birthday with him. Then, they had some of the truly fantastic chocolate cake. As soon as everyone finished, he suggested that they go for a swim. Hermione smiled to herself, knowing that he just wanted to divert the attention away from himself and on to something else. Everyone was excited to swim on such a warm day, so they all quickly agreed.

Everyone went to change into their swimsuits. Hermione had chosen a plum-colored bikini that made the most of her figure. It had a halter style top, and boy short bottoms. It wasn't super skimpy, but it accentuated everything in just the right way. When she returned to the pool area, the men were already there, waiting for the women to return. As Hermione walked up, she noticed how Theo's eyes took in the sight of her in her bathing suit. If she was honest, she was checking him out too. She grinned at him, raising one eyebrow, to let him know he was caught as she walked over to join him.

They decided to get into the water and soon they were all splashing, and having a great time. Theo started to swim away from the others and turned back to motion for her to come too. She followed him, and when they reached the far end of the pool, he pushed her up against the side of the pool and kissed her deeply. She could feel his hands roaming along her sides, and his body pressing against hers. He whispered against her lips, "You have no idea, what the sight of you in that bikini does to me. It makes me think thoughts that I have no business thinking just yet."

Hermione pulled away enough to look up at him, and smiled sassily, "I can assure you that anything you're thinking, I'm thinking as well." Without giving him time to process that, she laughed and pushed away saying, "Race you to the other end."

When they returned to the group, Hermione hopped out and sat on the side. She waited for a lull in the conversation and then said, " I know that this is a fun day for us, but I found something in my research yesterday that we all need to know about." Noticing the worried looks on her friend's faces, and hearing a groan from Ron, she continued quickly. "It's nothing horrible, nothing too life-altering. It could definitely get a little difficult to comply with this later on, but it's truly not anything bad."

She watched as Harry moved to place a comforting arm around Daphne's shoulders, clearly expecting the worst and Ron blurted out, "Just get on with it!"

"Okay, I realize that none of us are likely to be virgins at this point in our lives, however, the magic that we are going to be using to break the curse would work best with virgins. Since going back in time isn't an option, what I've found says that we should abstain from intercourse with our partners until the night that we bond. The energy from the magic of the first time with a new partner, especially a partner that happens to be our soulmate should be more than powerful enough to work the spell. Since the prophecy says that we can do it, I'm inclined to believe that we can, but we should do everything to make that a greater possibility."

Everyone nodded, and Theo spoke up, "Define abstaining, please. Exactly what can we, and can't we do?"

Hermione's cheeks got a little pink, but she bravely looked him straight in the eyes, and replied, "Anything short of actual penetrative intercourse should be fine. I'm not going to list possible scenarios in front of our friends," she added cheekily.

Everyone laughed at this and Ron, of course, added, "Really, we don't want to know what you plan to get up to. Please keep that to yourselves."

At this, Hermione jumped back into the water, splashed Ron in the face, and took off across the pool laughing. Everyone joined in with the water fight, and quickly forgot about the somewhat serious conversation.

It was late afternoon when everyone began to go their separate ways. It appeared that Harry was remaining behind with Daphne, but Ron and Pansy were leaving... separately. Hermione pulled Theo aside and asked if he wanted to come over to her flat for a movie night. She told him that they could get some takeout for dinner. Theo nodded excitedly. He told her that he would be over in about an hour. They both needed to shower and change. Hermione told him to wear comfy, lounge around the house type clothing. He nodded and grinned at her. They said their goodbyes and each headed home to have a quick shower.

When Theo arrived at Hermione's place precisely an hour later, he smiled at the sight of her. She was wearing a pair of comfortable looking grey shorts that tied at the waist. They stopped only a few inches below her bum. She had paired them with a snug-fitting pink t-shirt, and a pair of fuzzy cat slippers. She had pulled her hair up into a messy bun on top of her head. She looked far too sexy. He knew he would have to stop himself from moving too aggressively. He was incredibly attracted to her, and she looked edible at the moment.

He grabbed her and kissed her. She eagerly wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed him to deepen the kiss, sliding her tongue into his mouth and massaging it against his. Sensing her willingness, he allowed himself to touch the part of her he had been wanting to touch all day. He took a chance, and slid his hands down, and grabbed her bum with both hands, pulling her hard against him. She moaned into his mouth and began to move her hands over his chest. Lifting one of her legs, she hooked it over his hip, instinctively seeking friction. Theo moaned and rocked his hips forward. At this, she started making sexy noises and trying to get as close to his body as she could. Theo felt himself losing control. He needed to slow this down a bit. They had to wait until May to consummate their relationship, at this rate, it was going to be a long nine months. Thankfully, they weren't restricted from all kinds of sexual activity, they would simply need to get creative. He could certainly live with that. At this thought, he smirked against her lips.

"What's so funny all of a sudden?" she asked, pulling back slightly.

He answered honestly, "I was just thinking that this is going to be a long nine months."

She laughed, and said, "I can't help but agree with you wholeheartedly. Now, before things get out of hand, maybe we should order some dinner." She moved away from him slightly, putting some distance between their bodies. Deciding that a change of activity was needed, she gestured toward a pile of takeout menus on the counter. I didn't know what you would like, so I got out all of my favorites."

Theo took the menus from her and looked through them. As he browsed the offerings he was trying everything to calm his body and his racing heart. Hermione turned him on more completely than any other woman had before. He forced himself to focus on the menus. There were several things that he hadn't tried before. He told her so, "I've never had pizza, Mexican, or Chinese. I think I would like to try something new though."

She grinned at him, "Let's get Chinese this time. Ron's favorite is pizza and he made Harry and I get it the other day. I haven't had Chinese in a while though. Any particular likes or dislikes when it comes to meat, seafood, or vegetables?"

He told her that he would eat almost anything and that he was willing to try whatever she picked. Deciding that leftovers were always a good thing, Hermione ordered a variety of things. It was a lot more than they could eat, but Theo would get to see what he liked best for next time.

After she ordered, she led him into the sitting room to pick out a DVD while they waited for the food to arrive. She told him that he could look through her collection and pick whatever looked good. She showed him that he could look at the back of the case for a description of the movie. He nodded and started reading cases. Now and then, he would stop, and ask her a question about one movie or another, but he kept going. Finally, he told her that he had narrowed it down to two and he wanted her opinion. She laughed a little when she saw the two he had picked, they couldn't be more different. The first was Cruel Intentions, and the second was Austin Powers. She quickly explained the differences, and what to expect from each movie. In the end, he chose Cruel Intentions. She wasn't sure what he would think of it, but she enjoyed it well enough. Watching a movie with him was just a good excuse to cuddle anyway, she really didn't care what they watched.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. She paid for the food and returned to the sitting room. She spread everything out on the coffee table and explained all of the food to Theo. She had gotten egg rolls, hot and sour soup, combination lo mein, moo shu pork, beef and broccoli, sesame chicken, and of course fortune cookies. They prepared their plates, each taking a little bit of all of the offerings and sat on the floor while they ate. When they had eaten their fill, Hermione explained the fortune cookies. She told him that muggles enjoyed reading the fortunes out loud, and adding 'in bed' to the end of the fortune. She told him that it was fun to see who would have the most outrageous one.

Hermione opened her cookie and demonstrated, reading, "If you look in the right places, you can find some good offerings," laughing she looked up and added, "in bed."

Theo joined her laughter and waggled his eyebrows suggestively at her. He picked up his cookie and copied her actions, reading, "Physical activity will dramatically improve your outlook today," barely controlling his laughter he added, "in bed."

Through her laughter, Hermione told him, "You see, they are so much better with that little phrase added on. It makes the most mundane sayings funny and interesting."

When they were done with the fortune cookies, they put the leftovers in the fridge and cuddled up on the sofa to watch the movie. The next thing Hermione knew, it was pitch black, and they were still on her sofa. Theo was wrapped around her, but they weren't covered, and she was cold. She nudged him, "Theo, we fell asleep, it's the middle of the night. He quickly started apologizing and said that he would go home. "No silly, it's late, we are both exhausted from swimming and the sun. You should stay. Come on, my bed is big enough for two." She glanced back over her shoulder to see if he would follow, she was happy to see that he didn't have to be told twice. They snuggled together in her bed and were both soon sleeping soundly again.

...

The next morning, Hermione woke slowly. Her head was resting on something extremely comfortable, but firmer than her pillow. She also felt something heavy around her waist, and across her legs. Waking a little more, she remembered the events of the previous night and realized that it was Theo who was curled around her body. As she opened her eyes, she found him already awake and looking right at her. "Good morning," she smiled.

"Good morning, gorgeous, how did you sleep?"

"Honestly, that's the best night of sleep that I've had in as long as I can remember. I still have nightmares from my experiences during the war, and I honestly don't think I've had a night without one, unless I take dreamless sleep, for the last 6 years. How about you, how did you sleep?"

"Same, I don't have nightmares, but I've suffered from insomnia since the war. I don't usually sleep more than 4 or 5 hours. I'm not sure exactly how long we slept, but it's almost 10."

"Wow, I don't think I've ever slept until 10! Apparently, sleeping together is good for us."

He moved his eyebrows up and down suggestively at her as he had done the night before, wanting to make her laugh, before pulling her into a tight embrace and saying, "Seriously, this feels right. Sleeping next to you feels amazing, but waking up next to you this morning was the best feeling that I've ever experienced. I know that this all seems to be moving very quickly, but I've never felt anything so right in my life."

She snuggled into his embrace and said, "Me either, this is absolutely perfect. In fact, I don't think I want to move today. Right here is just fine with me."

He chuckled and said, "Maybe we can make it a little better," before bringing his mouth down to meet hers and snogging her senseless.

Before they could take it any farther, Hermione's Floo alarm went off in her bedroom. "Bollocks, I forgot to block the Floo last night! I'm sorry, I should go see who that is."

Theo smiled in understanding, "Go on, I'll be right out."

Hermione left her bedroom, fully expecting to see Ron and Harry, as they had a habit of coming by uninvited. Instead, she saw the smiling face of Luna Lovegood. "Luna, hi! I'm sorry, I slept in a bit and wasn't expecting you."

Luna nodded and gazed at her with a knowing look that only Luna could achieve. "Yes, I can see that now. I'm terribly sorry, I called first but popped in when you didn't answer. You have company, I can come back later," she said in her musical tone, smiling at Theo as he entered the room.

"Luna, do you remember Theo Nott?"

"Of course I remember, Hello, Theo. You were always nice to me. You always seemed so sad. I'm glad you are happy now." Turning to Hermione, "I'll leave you to your guest, Floo call me when you're free."

"That's not necessary," interrupted Theo. He smiled apologetically at Hermione, "I just remembered that I agreed to have lunch with Draco and Blaise. They saw the Prophet when it outed us as a couple. I haven't let them pin me down since then. I'm sure that they just want to question me about you, but I did say I would go. It would be rude of me not to show up."

"Of course, go, have a nice time with your friends," Hermione replied at once.

Theo leaned in and kissed her soundly. Before he released her he whispered in her ear, "If you're free, I can come back later, we can actually try to watch a movie tonight."

Hermione replied, "That would be wonderful. I don't have plans." She smiled, kissed him again and told him goodbye.

He turned to Luna and said, "It was nice to see you again, Luna. I'm sure I'll see you again soon."

When he left, Luna looked at Hermione and said in her singsong voice, "Hermione, I'm happy that you have found your mate at last. He's good for you in a way that no one else could ever match."

Hermione smiled indulgently, "He is Luna. He's wonderful. I'm going to keep him."

Luna smiled at Hermione, but her smile turned a little wistful, and somewhat sad. "I wish I could keep Neville, but he's not my mate. I'll enjoy him while I can, but our time grows short now."

Hermione hugged Luna but didn't know what to say. She knew that Luna and Neville weren't the most compatible match for each other. She wondered how much Luna really saw. Her friend's mind was a mystery.

Hermione and Luna spent an enjoyable few hours together. They had some of the leftover Chinese food for lunch and discussed Hermione and Theo's relationship and upcoming events. She told Hermione about an expedition that she and her father were going on the following month to Finland. She said that they had heard that there had been sightings of an unknown species and they wanted to go and see for themselves. Hermione had made the appropriate noises during her announcement, but she did her best not to encourage her odd friend. She did enjoy her time with Luna. As strange as the girl was, she was also pure joy.

Luna left not long after they finished their meal. Harry and Ron showed up mid-afternoon and accused Hermione of being a chicken for not showing up at the Burrow for lunch. Hermione explained that she had forgotten. She told them that she and Theo had fallen asleep watching a movie the night before, and then Luna had shown up that morning. They accepted her explanation but told her that she had to show up the next time.

They told her that everyone was asking how she and Theo met, and how long they had been together. "Ugh, none of us thought about that, did we? Theo is out with Draco and Blaise right now. I bet they are asking him the same questions. What did you tell them?" asked Hermione as she silently admonished herself. She was so distracted by Luna's appearance this morning that she hadn't realized that was likely to happen when Theo was out with his friends. They hadn't thought to come up with a story to tell everyone.

Harry, and Ron both snickered, Harry answered her, "We did our best to put them off. We told them all that those were questions for you to answer."

Ron chimed in, looking at her with a smug grin, "Mum said to let you know that you and Theo are both invited to lunch next week."

Hermione groaned, "I'm not sure if I'm ready for that. I really like Theo, I don't want him to get scared away."

Ron laughed, "That's why Harry and I aren't going around advertising anything. Really though, mum will be on her best behavior, and George and Tracey are excited. Tracy said to tell you that she needs another snake around and that you should bring Theo often."

Hermione nodded, "I'll ask Theo, and owl your mum this week and let her know."

"Ask Theo what?" came a voice from behind her. She smiled and greeted him with a brief kiss. She quickly explained about the invitation to the Burrow but told him that he didn't have to decide yet. She didn't want him to feel like she was putting him on the spot.

Harry and Ron decided that it was time to take their leave. They said goodbye and told Hermione that they would see her at the Ministry during the week.


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks to everyone who is reading, following, and reviewing! This chapter contains the first bit of smut that I've ever written. I'm not sure how I feel about it. Please let me know what you think. If smut isn't your cup of tea, it's all the way at the end of the chapter. It will be obvious when it's about to begin and it goes until the end of the chapter.

Grammarly was my Beta.

I don't own the characters.

Chapter 8

As soon as they left, Theo kissed her properly and asked about her day. She told him how it went, and, about how she had forgotten to show up at the Weasley's for lunch that day. Which was why they were both invited the following week.

"Wow, I just realized that I almost forgot something important as well! I have some meetings in France this week. I'll take a Portkey there on Tuesday morning, and I won't return until late Thursday night," interjected Theo.

Hermione hugged him, and confessed, "It feels strange to say this since we've been together such a short amount of time, but I'm going to miss you while you're gone. Can we do something together on Friday evening, or will you be too tired from your trip?"

"I won't be too tired. I'll get back Thursday night and I can sleep as late as I please on Friday. I don't have anything to do that day. What would you like to do Friday night?"

"Let's have a low key night in. I can cook some dinner for us and we can hang out here. If you like, you can plan to sleep here."

"That sounds perfect, a low key night with you, after all of the horrid business meetings I will have to endure. It will be just what I need."

"Now that we've decided that, tell me about your day. How was it with Draco and Blaise? Was it the Spanish Inquisition?"

Theo gave her a strange look, "I'm not sure what the Spanish Inquisition is. I'm going to assume that's some muggle term that I'm not familiar with and guess that you are asking if they asked me what's going on with you."

Hermione grinned at him and nodded, "Fantastic use of context clues, my brilliant one. I do enjoy your mind. It's very sexy."

Theo winked at her, "We will come back to that last comment in a bit, I think we may get off track if we discuss that now. Yes, Draco and Blaise wanted to see me today to ask what was going on with the two of us. They wanted to know how long we've been together, and how we managed to get together in the first place. They were a little surprised, given the fact that we didn't exactly have the same circle of friends at Hogwarts," he paused and smirked at the serious understatement. "Since we haven't discussed any of that yet, I had to get creative."

"Yes, we realized that today as well. Ron and Harry said that everyone at the Burrow was asking how you and I came to be. Thankfully, they told the others that it was my story to tell, so we will be able to use whatever you told your friends. What did you tell them?"

"Don't worry, I was able to think on my feet, everything is fine. I told them that I had bumped to you in the Ministry's Library when I was getting information on some new regulations that I needed for the children's center. I said that we started talking and hit it off and that I owled you later and asked you to dinner. I told them that we had been seeing each other secretly for about a month before that night in Diagon Alley. I kept it simple, and plausible. I purposely didn't give them too many details. That will keep us from slipping up later, and make it easier for the others to remember our story too. I don't think they wanted details anyway, they were just a little shocked at the news and upset that they saw it in the paper instead of hearing it from me."

Hermione placed a hand on his leg, "Theo, I'm so sorry. We just didn't think about any of this. I'm sure that they won't be the only ones who have that reaction. Having to keep the real story a secret makes everything so complicated."

"Hermione, it's fine. None of us thought about this. Hey, think of it this way, having a surprise courtship come out now is a hell of a lot better than suddenly turning up married."

Hermione giggled at this, "You're right, of course, as usual. Thank you for keeping such a level head about everything. I do have another question for you. Why did you agree to go through with all of this? I understand my reasons, they are similar to Harry's, and probably Ron's as well, but I don't know yours."

"Before I answer, what are your reasons? You never told me."

She sighed, and told him, "I'll give you a pass this time, but the next time I ask a question, you will answer first."

At his nod of acquiescence, she continued, " Harry, Ron, and I went through so much during the war, before the war too. When I learned about all of this, it seemed like all of our sacrifices weren't worth it if everyone was still suffering. This was the only way to truly finish what we started."

She took a deep breath and continued, "I know that this will make me sound like a silly girl, but I honestly got really excited when I learned about the soulmate spell. It was a way to guarantee that I would be with the right person. Of course, I worried that the person I was matched with wouldn't want me or wouldn't be interested in putting in the effort to create a relationship. I was also worried that the relationship wouldn't feel natural, but the romantic part of me was ecstatic." She looked up, and gazed into his eyes, "Once I had the opportunity to be around you, I knew that I didn't have to worry. I immediately saw that you were more than willing to try to make this work between us. That's why I've been content to let everything progress as we see fit, without worrying about what I should do, or what others will think. It goes against my usual nature, but I guess I put my trust in the ancient magic of the spell and just let myself let go and not think for once."

She looked at him pointedly, "Now, it's your turn. Why did you go along with this so easily."

Theo grinned at her, "Okay, okay, you'll get your answer. To be honest, it was a shock, but in the very best way." At her confused expression, he went on, "That day in Kingsley's office when we learned what we had to do, I was thrilled. If it had been anyone other than you, I would have been livid. I don't know if I would have agreed at all, I certainly wouldn't have agreed easily. The truth is, I have been interested in you for years. I had a crush on you starting during 4th year. I wanted so badly to pluck up the courage to ask you to Yule Ball. I had decided that I didn't care what my friends thought, or what my father would say, I was going to do it. Then, I overheard Krum asking you that day in the library. When you said yes, I convinced myself that it would have been a terrible idea anyway. It didn't stop me from being terribly jealous that night. You looked so beautiful, and I could only watch from afar."

"Are you serious?" whispered Hermione, looking at him with wide eyes, astonished by what she was hearing.

"Yes," admitted Theo.

"Why didn't you approach me after that?"

"At the end of 4th year, he came back. I knew that it wouldn't be safe for either of us so I watched you, and wished that things were different. When everything was over, I wanted so badly to ask you out, but I was terrified that you wouldn't be interested because of my father and because I was Slytherin."

Hermione reached and took his hand, "I noticed you during 8th year, I saw you smiling at me. I often wondered about you. I wish I had made an effort then and talked to you. I was so messed up then. Still recovering from everything that happened, and just focusing on academics to get through the school year. I'm sorry that I didn't take the time to at least become friends with you."

Theo shrugged, "We were all messed up then. Maybe things worked out for the best. Who's to say that we wouldn't have given it a go then, and made a mess of it. We were both young, and both recovering from a traumatic event. Let's not worry about what if, let's just be happy that things worked out in the end."

...

They had both had a large lunch, so they decided to have some sandwiches for dinner. When they were done, they cuddled up on Hermione's sofa together. Theo smirked down at her, "So, getting back to the conversation from earlier, tell me about my sexy mind."

Hermione's cheeks colored a little, but she answered him, "I've never been with someone who could keep up with me intellectually. I've noticed that you think about things in the same way that I do, and if I'm completely honest, it's a real turn-on. So, yes, I find your mind incredibly sexy. Although, the rest of you is quite appealing as well. So, the whole package together is amazing."

He pulled her close, and kissed her deeply, murmuring against her mouth, "I find everything about you amazing and sexy."

He pulled away from the kiss and said, "I know that this is moving from lighthearted to serious, but I've been wanting to ask this... I want to know because I want to know you. Can you tell me what happened to you during the war?"

Hermione sighed deeply, but nodded, "Yes, I'll tell you everything. I want to know your story as well. We need to know the hard things too... It's important. First, I need you to understand that what I'm about to tell you, I haven't told anyone else. Harry and Ron know about most of it because they lived it too, and I've told Luna some things. However, there isn't anyone that truly knows everything. You will be the only one I tell. I need you to understand that this is incredibly hard for me, but also that I trust you enough to let you know everything."

Theo turned his body so that his back was resting against the arm of the sofa, he pulled his legs up so that they were resting along the length of the cushions. When he had gotten comfortable, he pulled her into his lap with her back resting against his chest, and legs propped on his. He wrapped his arms around her to rest in her lap and laced his fingers through hers. Hermione loved that he instinctively knew what she needed. She didn't want to watch his facial expressions as she told him her story, but she needed to feel comfort and support, it was perfect.

Hermione began to speak, she started by telling him about altering her parents' memories before leaving to go with Harry and Ron. She told him everything that happened to her while they were on the run. She spared no details. He gasped when she talked about their near-miss at the Ministry of Magic, and then again when she told him about Godric's Hollow. Otherwise, he remained silent. When she related the story about what happened at Malfoy Manor, their capture, and her torture at Belatrix's hand, she felt him shaking. She turned and found that he was crying, tears running down his face. She touched his face gently, wiping away some of the tears and whispered, "Do you want me to stop?" He shook his head, but couldn't get any words out, so she continued. She told him about being rescued by Dobby... their time at Shell Cottage... breaking into Gringotts, and escaping on the dragon... she ended with her tale of the Battle of Hogwarts. When she was finished, she turned into his embrace and buried her face into his neck. He held her tightly, crying once again. She realized that she was crying too. Talking about everything like this brought up all of the horrible memories, but it felt good to tell him. It felt right.

He held her tight for a few more minutes until they had both stopped crying, then he pulled her up and kissed her still wet cheeks, "My love, I'm so, incredibly sorry that you had to go through all of that. No one should have to live with that. You didn't say, and I'm afraid to ask, but I need to know. What happened to your parents? Did modifying their memories keep them safe?"

Hermione smiled sadly, "Please, feel free to ask anything that you want to know... Yes, it did keep them safe. Draco confirmed that suspicion. After we became friends, he told me what he knew. The night after the attack on Bill and Fleur's wedding, Voldemort sent a group of death eaters to find my parents. He was so angry that they had missed capturing us at the wedding, and he wanted to try to get information about our whereabouts from my parents. Draco said that when that group returned and said that the house was empty, with no clues about where they had gone, Voldemort flew into a rage and tortured the ones sent to locate them. Draco said that there was an ongoing search conducted to try and find them, but they never did."

"With that being said, my parents are safe and happy. They still live in Australia, where I sent them. However, the memory charm couldn't be reversed, so they have no clue that they have a daughter. They will never remember me again." Her voice broke a little at the end, and Theo hugged her closer to his body.

They sat like that for several long moments before Theo spoke, "Do you still want to hear my story tonight, or would you like to wait until you've had a chance to recover from telling yours? I don't have to tell you tonight. I can wait if that's what you need."

Hermione pulled back enough to look into Theo's eyes, "No, to be perfectly honest, I feel like a weight has been lifted. Being able to tell you that, while feeling totally supported by you, was something I needed, without knowing that I needed it. Please, if you are up to it, I would love to hear your story as well. Before you start, how do you want to sit? You held me so perfectly, just how I needed, and I want to be sure that I return the favor."

Theo thought for a moment, "Could we lie down? I want to feel you completely cuddled into me, like when we woke up together."

"Absolutely," said Hermione, she got to her feet and pulled him up with her. Let's go stretch out in my bed and get comfy." Once in her room, Hermione slipped into the closet for a quick change into some sleep shorts and a t-shirt. She told Theo to get as comfortable as he would like. When she came back he had stripped down to his boxers and t-shirt. She cuddled in next to him, and he pulled her over so that her head was resting on his chest while wrapping his arms around her waist and tangling their legs together. It was just what he needed to feel comforted.

Theo waited a moment, enjoying the feeling of having her so close to his body. He took a deep breath and began talking. He told her how he saw his mother die when he was only seven. She was coming down the stairs, but she tripped and fell. She was dead before she hit the bottom step. It was ruled an accident, but he remembered seeing his father's shadow moving into a room at the top of the stairs just as his mother began to fall. He suspected a simple trip jinx, but nothing was ever proven.

After his mother died, his life was difficult. His father was not a caring person. He didn't want to be bothered with raising a child, but he needed his heir. He left Theo to be raised by house elves. When he did pay attention, it was because Theo had dishonored him in some way. That attention was bad. That kind of attention got him punished by his father's wand and hand. Theo's own father had used torture curses on him and beat him when he was bored with those. Theo had turned to books because his childhood was lonely and miserable.

Once at Hogwarts, he had wanted to truly become his own person, but he knew that if he didn't do exactly what his father expected when he went home, it would be worse than ever. The sorting hat had wanted to put him in Ravenclaw, but Theo begged to be placed in Slytherin instead. He was relieved that asking worked because according to his father, 'Notts are Slytherins.' So, Theo had learned to hide by pretending to be something he wasn't. He never came out and agreed with his Slytherin friends, but he didn't dare speak against their ideals either. If he had, it would have gotten back to his father.

Never showing his true nature kept him feeling lonely and isolated. It could have easily made him bitter, but he didn't allow himself to feel that way. It was easy to be secretive among the other Slytherins. They all had their own secrets.

When the war began, things got more complicated. During holidays, Theo often found his home invaded by his father's death eater cronies. During these times, he tried to hide in his bedroom as often as possible. Unfortunately, that wasn't always possible. He would find himself summoned by his father, and forced to watch the death eaters torture, rape, or even kill someone. He was required to go along on a few of the revels. He wasn't asked to participate, due to being underage and having the trace, but he would never forget the things that he was made to witness.

Finally, at the end of 5th year, his father was captured and put in Azkaban for his participation in the battle at the Ministry. That summer had been freeing. He was lonely with just the house elves, and occasional visits from friends, but he felt happy and free without his father's constant scrutiny.

Then, everything changed again. The war moved into the open and his father escaped from prison. Theo learned that as soon as he turned 17, and finished school, he was expected to take the dark mark, and become an active death eater. Theo began to explain in earnest about what had happened at Hogwarts under the Carrows. The older Slytherins, especially the children of death eaters had been forced to torture the younger children. Crabbe and Goyle had actually enjoyed this, but the rest of them wanted no part. They had to put up a front. If it had gotten back to their parents that they had refused, the punishment would have been far worse than anything the Carrows would have done to them. They likely would have been turned over to Voldemort himself for punishment. He told her how they would whisper instructions to the young ones, telling them to pretend to hurt, to scream, cry, and writhe around on the floor. They would say the curses, without pushing any power through their wands. Sometimes it hurt the kids a little, but it was never the full force of the ones who enjoyed it. He told her that it was this that finally had Draco, Daphne, Pansy, Blaise, and himself admitting to each other that they didn't want a part in the war. They were wary of the admission at first, but they all felt a huge sense of relief once they all knew they were on the same page. From that moment on, they banded together to focus on surviving, while secretly doing whatever they could to protect the innocent.

Theo went on to explain that he was scared but thrilled when the trio showed up at Hogwarts to fight. He had assisted in getting the younger students out of the castle, and then came back to help where he could. He told her how he moved through the castle, helping those fighting death eaters. He tried his best to do this without calling attention to himself, however, he had found himself face to face with his father, who had seen him curse another death eater. His father had been livid and moved to attack. Seeing this, Theo returned the attack. In the end, he had been the one who injured his father enough to prevent him from returning to the battle. After this confrontation, Voldermort had called his followers to retreat for a break in the battle. At this point, Theo had been emotionally exhausted, and instead of returning to battle when it resumed, he assisted in the infirmary as much as he could.

He told her that he was arrested, and taken to the Ministry after the battle because of who he was. However, he was quickly released after being questioned with Veratiserum. He had volunteered vital information about his father and even testified against him during his trial. He told her that the best part was when his father asked why he would turn against him like this, he was able to tell him that he did it all for his mother because he knew that it was him who had killed her.

Theo finished his tale, and realized that he had tears running down his face, he looked down at Hermione and saw that she was crying too. He pulled her as close as possible, and they cried together. They cried for their lost childhoods and grieved for those who were lost to the war.

When they had cried themselves out, Theo looked at Hermione, and said earnestly, "I try to do as much good as I can to make up for all of the awful things that my father did. I don't ever want to be compared to him."

Hermione kissed him, "Oh, Theo, don't you see, you could never be like him. You've never been like him because you didn't want to be. You had a choice, and you chose to be a better man than he could have ever been."

Theo held her tight and said "Thank you. I know that, but I think sometimes, I'm afraid that other people can't see past my name to see me."

Hermione whispered, "I see you, and I think you are wonderful. You are the man who I'm going to spend my life with, you will be the father of my children, and right now, right this minute, you are the man that I'm falling in love with. I know it's fast, and I don't expect you to say anything back, but I needed you to know."

Theo lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes, "I agree that it's fast, but it doesn't mean that it isn't perfectly right. I'm falling in love with you too. I'm not just saying it because you did, I mean it with my whole heart," with that, he gave her a short but, amazing kiss. Then he snuggled her back into his neck, and just held her there.

He was still and quiet for so long that she had begun to think that he had fallen asleep. Finally, he spoke, "Hermione, you don't have to tell me if you are uncomfortable, but do you have any scars from what Bellatrix did to you? You mentioned that it was a cursed knife, and I just wondered. I promise that it won't matter to me if you do. There's nothing that could make you less beautiful in my eyes."

Hermione gazed up at him before whispering, "Yes, I have scars. I keep the visible ones glamoured because I don't want to have to explain them all the time."

"Will you show me? If you don't feel comfortable, I will understand."

Hermione sat up, and said, "Yes, I'll show you. We shared everything else tonight, I want to share this too. Before I show you, I want to explain that even though they still look awful, I was very lucky. As you said, Belatrix used a cursed blade on me. I'm left with scars that can't be removed, but it could have been much worse." Hermione took a deep, shuddering breath, and continued, "When we were rescued, we were taken to Bill Weasley's home. Bill is a curse breaker, a very good curse breaker. He was able to remove most of the remnants of the curse from my wounds. Had I not been taken to him immediately, had someone tried to heal me without removing the curse, the wounds would have never fully healed. I wouldn't just have scars, I would have open wounds. So, when I show you, please remember that. Please understand that I feel fortunate."

She removed her shirt and pushed her shorts down so they sat low on her hips, and said the incantation to remove the glamour. The lines of white crisscrossing her abdomen became visible, as did the white scar on her neck, and finally the slur that had been carved into her forearm. Theo gasped, and began crying again, "How did you survive that?"

She whispered, "I don't know. I know that when I was rescued, I had given up. I was at the point that I thought that I would die, and I had begun to hope for death to end the agony."

Theo began to kiss each scar, "Oh, my love, I'm so grateful that you survived. I'm so happy that you are here with me now. Thank you for showing me. I know that it had to be an extremely difficult thing to share."

"Yes, Hermione admitted. My friends know they are there, of course, but I never even lift the glamour around them. I have felt so self-conscious that I never show anyone."

Theo told her honestly, " Don't feel like you ever have to hide from me. You are the most beautiful woman that I've ever seen, and your scars only add to that. They show how strong you are, and what you've been through to become the amazing person that you are."

Hermione snuggled into his embrace, "Will you stay with me tonight?"

"Of course,"

"Good, Theo..."

"Yes, love?"

"Touch me, I need you to touch me. Telling you everything felt good, it felt right, but now, I need to forget... Touch me, please."

He gazed into her whiskey-colored eyes, searching their depths for any sign of doubt, reassuring himself that she wouldn't have any regrets. Finding only sincerity he murmured, "Tell me what you want, what you need."

"Just feel, don't think. We both know what the limits are. Otherwise, just stop thinking and feel."

Theo didn't have to be told twice. He pulled her up into a passionate kiss and stopped thinking. His hands skimmed down her body, stopping to slide his hands over her soft, rounded breasts. He reached around to unclasp her bra, exposing them fully to his hands. He slowly and sensually placed open-mouth kisses down her neck and across her chest, swirling his tongue over her rosy nipples and sucking each one into his mouth in turn. She moaned and began trying in earnest to remove his shirt. He pulled away for a moment to help her. When the offending garment was gone, he returned his attention to her breasts. He rolled and pinched the nipple of her right breast with his fingers, while his mouth lavished attention on the left one.

She moaned, and arched into him, needing to feel the friction of his body rubbing against hers. He groaned, and took her mouth again, kissing her with urgency. As he kissed her, his fingers wandered down and moved inside her damp knickers. She began making sexy, keening noises as his finger found her raised nub. He circled her clit, making her cry out in pleasure, then stopped to remove her knickers fully, as she raised her hips to assist him. When they were gone, she said saucily, "you're a bit overdressed."

He laughed and allowed her to remove his boxers. When they were gone, she reached down and ran her hand over his erection, then, grasping it, pumped it up and down a few times, causing Theo to moan. They resumed kissing and he reached down and inserted one finger, then two into her wet heat.

She gasped in pleasure, "Oh Theo, that feels amazing."

He moved his thumb against her clit as he continued to pump the fingers inside her, "Yes! Just like that, oh gods, don't stop!"

"I want to taste you, I need to taste you, do you want that? Do you want me to put my tongue and mouth on your pretty pussy and lick you and suck on you until you come all over my face?" Theo spoke next to her ear, in a husky voice.

The suggestive words, combined with the movement of Theo's fingers caused Hermione to scream in pleasure, "Yes, Theo, Yes! I want that, Please, Theo!"

Laughing, Theo moved down her body, stopping to give some attention to each breast as he made his way down her body to her center. Her scent was intoxicating to him, she smelled sweet and tangy at the same time. Smelling her arousal made him painfully hard. He removed his fingers, she protested the loss but stilled as he blew lightly on the small patch of curls between her legs then he moved to teasingly lick and suck on the soft skin of her inner thighs.

"Please, please don't tease," she whined. Ignoring her, he pushed her ankles up until her knees were bent, and she was opened wide to him. He spread her lower lips open with his fingers and licked lightly up her slit, and back again. She moaned and writhed at the sensation. Without warning, he slid the two fingers back inside her and sucked her clit into his mouth. He curled his fingers into the soft, spongy spot inside her front wall that would make her scream while doing amazing things with his mouth that she had never felt before. Her hands fisted into the sheets, trying to anchor herself to the bed, while her head thrashed side to side. "Oh Theo, I'm going to come... Ungh..." As he felt her walls contract, he gentled the movements and pressed his tongue firmly into her nub, allowing her to ride out the orgasm without overstimulating the sensitive area.

When she stopped shaking, he slid up her body to kiss her languidly. When she had recovered, she pulled away and said quietly, "Theo, that was amazing. You are amazing. Now," she proclaimed, grinning at him, "It's your turn."

"No," objected Theo, pulling her close to him. "Tonight was just for you."

"Please allow me to do this. I want to give you as much pleasure as you have given me tonight. I appreciate that you want it to be about me, but there will be other nights for that. I need to touch you, as much as I needed for you to touch me. Unless you really don't want me to, please allow me this."

"Alright," He conceded. "I don't think there is a male alive that could say no to that offer by a beautiful, naked woman. Especially a woman that he is falling hopelessly in love with."

She smiled, "Now, lay back and enjoy." She kissed him sensually then kissed her way down his body toward his large cock. As she reached his waistline, it bounced in anticipation. She looked up into his eyes, and winked seductively, then licked him from the base to the tip, causing him to moan loudly. She circled the tip with her tongue while cupping his bullocks with one hand and massaging them lightly. Without warning, she took his entire length into her mouth, coming back up while swirling her tongue around him. Then she sat up on her knees and encircled the base with her hands, stacking one on top of the other. She took the rest of his length into her mouth and bobbed up and down while making twisting motions with her hands, allowing the saliva to run out of her mouth lubricating the skin under her palms.

Theo couldn't speak. This was the best blow job he had ever had. He had never felt anything like it. It was sensory overload. He knew he wouldn't last long, and soon he felt himself losing control. He tapped on her shoulder in warning, he gathered himself to try to speak, "Hermione, love, I'm about to come."

She nodded her understanding but didn't stop. She wanted to taste him. She felt him explode, hot spurts of his seed filling her mouth. She swallowed it down and continued to move lazily up and down his length with her tongue, sucking lightly. She felt his erection begin to shrink, so she released him and moved back up his body. He immediately grabbed her into a tight embrace, and exclaimed, "I don't want to sound crude here, but that was the best fucking blow job of my life, you are amazing, and I don't know what I did to get so lucky that I get to have you. Everything about you is perfect."

She smiled and snuggled into him. "Everything about you is perfect for me, so that makes us two very lucky people." They lay cuddled together and enjoyed the afterglow of their orgasms. Soon they had fallen into an exhausted sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Thanks for reading! I appreciate your support!

As usual, the characters do not belong to me! I just enjoy playing with them.

There is smut in this chapter.

Chapter 9

The next morning, they woke completely wrapped around each other, and still naked. Hermione felt tired but happy. Happier than she could ever remember feeling. "Good morning," she whispered to Theo.

"Morning, love," he replied with a sweet kiss. "I don't want to go out of town tomorrow. I'm getting far too used to waking up with you. Would you stay at my house tonight? I have to pack tonight and leave extremely early tomorrow, but I would really like it if you would stay with me. I don't want to wait until Friday evening to see you again."

She smiled at him, "Of course I will. Do you want me to bring us some dinner?"

He shook his head, "No, just bring your lovely self. I'll take care of the dinner arrangements. Would you be up for going out for something?"

She nodded, "Yes, dinner out sounds wonderful. I'll plan to meet you at your house around 6:00. Is that okay?"

"That's perfect, I should be home by 5:00. If I'm running late for some reason, make yourself at home," replied Theo.

"Ugh, I could stay here with you like this all day, but if I don't get moving I'll be late for work."

He looked at her suggestively, "I could make it worth your while."

She laughed, "Come on, you can make it worth my while in the shower. That way we won't be as late as we will be if we stay here, and then still need to shower."

Hermione ended up being late for work, but for once, she couldn't find it within herself to care. When she arrived to work she felt very satisfied and extremely relaxed. Her day was spent researching more rituals that could break the curse. She still needed to find a way to get into Malfoy's library, knowing that she had almost finished with anything that may be useful in Theo's. Soon, she would need to owl Daphne and Pansy to see if she could check their libraries if they didn't make plans to see each other over the weekend. Suddenly she gasped out loud, realizing that hadn't thought to check the library at Grimmauld Place. The Blacks could have very well had something that she could use. She would have to speak to Harry soon about examining his library.

The evening with Theo was fantastic as usual. Hermione liked how easy, and normal everything was with him. They ate dinner at a small, casual place in Diagon Alley, then had an ice cream cone from Fortescue's while walking around, window shopping. While walking in the Alley, they were, of course, photographed again, but neither of them cared anymore. They were too happy to care. As they were finishing their cones, they bumped into Draco and Astoria, who had just finished dinner. During the exchange of pleasantries, another flash went off behind them. Theo, and Hermione both started to laugh. Draco and Astoria looked confused until they explained how Theo had predicted what the headline would be the first evening they were photographed together. They went on to say that being seen with the Malfoys was sure to garner another front-page spot with an even better headline. Hearing the explanation, Draco and Astoria joined in with the laughter. Everyone laughed even harder when another flash could be seen. They decided to end the evening sharing a quick drink. Hermione knew that Theo would be happy that she was willing to spend time with his friends, and it had honestly gone very well. She and Draco got along well enough, and she genuinely liked Astoria. She could see them spending time together in the future.

The next morning, Hermione woke, alone in Theo's large bed. She had a vague memory of him kissing her goodbye. She glanced around and spotted a note on his pillow. It was from Theo, of course, telling her that he would see her on Friday and that he would miss her. She snuggled into his pillow, enjoying his scent a little more before she needed to head to work. It would be another long day of research.

After showering, and dressing, she decided to check the library again to see if she had missed anything. Since she would be doing work here, she could go into the office a little late. As she entered the library, Theo's sweet little house elf popped in to check on her. Jaycee was a free elf, as she had explained to Hermione on her first visit to Nott Manor. Jaycee hadn't always been free. She had served the Nott family when Nott Sr. was alive. She had been Theo's main caregiver when he was growing up, and Hermione could tell that Jaycee regarded Theo more as a child than a master. Theo in return loved Jaycee and would do anything to ensure her happiness.

"Good morning Mistress Hermione, what can Jaycee make yous for breakfast this morning?"

"Good morning, Jaycee. I've told you that you can call me Hermione. Why do you call me Mistress anyway? Other elves that I've met just call me Miss."

"Yous is my mistress because yous is my Master Theo's mate, his intended."

Hermione decided not to question the elf further. She knew that house elves had their own way of doing things. As long as Jaycee was happy and not mistreated, Hermione would leave it alone. "Jaycee, if it's no trouble, I would like some tea and toast for breakfast. If it's okay, I would like to have it in here. I have some research to do before I leave for work."

"Of course Mistress, I'll bring it right away," said the little elf as she popped away without waiting for a reply.

Jaycee soon brought her breakfast, and Hermione spent a pleasant morning searching the library for volumes that could be of use. Jaycee came back in to check on her mid-morning and asked if she could help Hermione find anything. Hermione asked if she knew of any books that contained ancient bonding rituals, or any kind of blood rituals.

The little elf got excited, "Jaycee knows just the thing, the old master had some like that, but he hid them away. Master Theo doesn't know about them, but elves, we be seeing things. Jaycee will get them for Mistress." She popped away, and soon returned carrying some very old and dusty journals. They appeared to be handwritten. Hermione got very excited, this may be just what she needed.

Before delving into the newly discovered journals, Hermione sent an owl off to her boss, letting him know that she wouldn't be in that day. Informing him that she was doing some research for her special project with the Minister in a privately held library. She followed protocol even though she wasn't technically required to tell Smithe anything now that she was reporting to Kingsley. She simply wanted it documented in case he became problematic, knowing that Kingsley would back her up if her boss did give her any problems.

Hermione settled in with a second cup of tea and began perusing the newly found journals. She had been engrossed for hours when Jaycee appeared again. "Mistress Hermione, Jayce has some lunch for yous. Yous has been working too long without a break. Yous needs to eat."

Hermione smiled, "Thank you, Jaycee. I often get caught up and forget to eat. I will eat while I work." Hermione munched on the delicious sandwich and fruit that the elf brought her, and continued reading. She began to get excited. She found a ritual that looked promising. It looked just what they needed for their purpose. Turning the page, she deflated. There was at least one missing page. There was no way of knowing what was missing, or if any important steps were left off. She flipped through the pages of the other journals quickly, hoping that the missing page was stuck inside of one of the others. When she didn't find it, she quietly called for Jaycee.

Jaycee popped in and asked what she could do for Hermione. "Jaycee, did you happen to see a loose page when you got these journals for me? This one is missing a page that I need."

The little elf shook her head, "No mistress, this is all there was, and Jaycee doesn't know of anything like that anywhere in the house. Jaycee is sorry."

Hermione, couldn't help it, Jaycee looked so distressed that she had to comfort her. She leaned over and hugged her gently, "Jaycee, don't worry. I'm not upset with you. I'm grateful to you for finding these for me. They have been very helpful. Please don't be upset."

Jaycee hugged her back enthusiastically, "Mistress Hermione, Jaycee is so lucky. Yous and Master Theo are so kind to Jaycee. Jaycee couldn't wish for a nicer family."

Hermione remained in Theo's library until almost four. She decided that she had gotten quite a bit accomplished that day, so she headed home early. With Theo gone and no plans for the evening, she owled Harry and Ron to see if they wanted to come over for dinner. They were free and said they would be over at 6. Harry promised to bring take-out.

Since Hermione had time, she decided to have a nice bubble bath while waiting for her friends. She soaked for an hour, enjoying the hot water, and thick bubbles that smelled of eucalyptus and mint. It was incredibly relaxing. As she soaked, she thought about how her life had changed over the past three months. It had been a whirlwind, certainly, but she was incredibly happy.

When Harry and Ron arrived, Hermione was lounging on the couch with a book, awaiting their arrival. They came through the Floo right on time, Harry carrying a bag of something that smelled delicious. "Fish and Chips," he said as he held it out to her.

She accepted it, and said, "That sounds perfect, thanks for picking it up."

Ron looked at her, "We came by your office at lunchtime. You weren't there."

"No, I spent the day at Theo's, researching."

Ron sniggered, "Ah, so that's what they are calling it these days."

Hermione rolled her eyes, Ron's constant innuendo was starting to get old, "Theo is out of town. He left early this morning, and he won't be back until Thursday. I really was using his library for research. We only have until May to figure out which rituals and spells we will need to break the curse."

"So, I'm guessing you didn't see the Prophet today then?" asked Harry, carefully gauging her reaction.

"No, why? I know we were photographed with the Malfoys last night. We all had a good laugh about it actually."

"Yes, well, now they are implying that you are being imperioused. You're courting Theo, and socializing with Draco Malfoy, so of course, something nefarious is going on."

Hermione huffed in frustration, "They better not be insinuating that Theo has imperioused me. Was it Rita again? I'll make that beetle wish she was still in a jar!"

"It was Rita. She didn't say who may be responsible, and she didn't actually mention the imperio. The beetle is too sneaky for that. The article just implied that you may not be yourself, being seen with former death eaters, and children of death eaters," Harry rushed to explain.

"Ugh, that horrid cow. Just wait, it's going to get worse when you and Daphne, and Ron, and Pansy are seen in public together. It will get even worse when all of us are seen together as a group."

Harry nodded, "Yeah, I think that Daphne and I will stick to dates in muggle London for the time being. I'm not ashamed to be seen with her, but I hate all the attention and publicity. Thankfully, she feels the same. She doesn't like the spotlight any more than me."

"Oh, that reminds me," said Hermione. "We do need to get our stories straight on how we all met and started dating. Theo ended up telling Draco, and Blaise that he and I met in the library at the Ministry and hit it off. He said that we had started owling, and had been dating secretly for a month before we were seen that night in the Alley."

Ron and Harry nodded. They quickly agreed that Harry would admit to being informed about Theo and Hermione's relationship from the start. He would explain to others that he met Daphne through Theo. Harry looked to Ron and told him that he could use the same explanation for his relationship with Pansy.

At this, Ron huffed and protested, "I don't need to say anything yet, I'm not planning on saying anything about Pansy. We haven't been on a date or anything. Not like the pair of you."

Hermione just shook her head, there was no point in getting into the same old argument with Ron. They would need to address it soon, but she would leave it alone for tonight. She looked at Harry instead, "Harry, are you bringing Daphne with you to the Burrow next Sunday?"

Harry looked uncomfortable. "I'm not sure. On one hand, it would be nice to do it the same day as you and Theo go, that would divert attention from both of us. On the other hand, we haven't been seen in public yet, and I don't know if she would be comfortable going," Harry trailed off.

Hermione nodded, "I think you should talk to her and find out what she would prefer. She should be involved in the decision too."

Harry agreed, "I wanted to ask you something else. It's about the courtship thing." Hermione nodded for him to continue. " Do you think Daphne would want that too? You said that it was something that was important to Theo. I know that they all grew up having the expectation that courtship would precede engagement and marriage. If that's something that she wants, I want to make sure that I give it to her. If I do it, I want to do it right, but I don't want to seem like I'm rushing anything either. Do you think it's too soon?"

Hermione snorted at this, "Harry, you're talking to the person that agreed to courtship on the second formal date. All I can say is that you should talk to her and be honest. Open communication is why Theo and I have been so comfortable progressing our relationship quickly. When he brought up the subject of courtship, he asked if I thought it was too fast. My answer to him was that we don't exactly have years to progress a relationship slowly from dating to courtship to engagement to marriage. We have less than a year to do all of that. Also, we have the certainty of knowing that these are our true soulmates. We know that the relationships can work if we want them to. So, you should do what makes you feel comfortable. Progress as you see fit, and don't worry about what other people will think. We know that we are all going through with this bonding. There is too much at stake to refuse. We may as well be happy in the end."

Harry leaned over and hugged Hermione hard. "Thank you Mione. I really needed to hear that. Do you think that Theo would be willing to help me with all of the courtship stuff?"

"Oh Harry, I'm sure he would be more than happy to help. He will be back late on Thursday evening. You can owl him, or maybe we can all plan something for Saturday night again."

Ron and Harry nodded in agreement. "What should we do?" asked Harry. "I don't have a preference, except that it can't be somewhere public."

Hermione nodded, "We can hang out here again. Game night, maybe?" Ron and Harry agreed.

The rest of the week moved slowly for Hermione. She had asked Harry about going to Grimmauld and he, of course, gave her permission to do whatever she wanted. He just asked her to make sure that someone was there with her. He wasn't completely sure that there weren't still cursed books hanging around in the library. I wasn't used often. They met there after lunch on Wednesday, and they spent the rest of the day going through the place, looking for anything useful. While she hadn't really been expecting to find anything, she was still disappointed when she came up empty-handed.

Thursday morning, she owled both Daphne and Pansy and asked to check their libraries. They both quickly replied with permission. She went to Daphne's on Thursday afternoon, and Pansy's on Friday, again coming up empty. She was beginning to get worried that they would go through everything, and not have the ritual that they needed to break the curse. She knew that it was only August, but she would feel so much better if she had a solid plan.

... 

Theo was waiting for her when she arrived home on Friday evening. She greeted him with a kiss, "Merlin, I missed you!"

He smiled at her, and hugged her tight, "I missed you too, more than I would like to admit." She filled him in on her week, and he did the same. His meetings had been productive, and he wouldn't need to go out of town again for several months. Hermione filled him in on the plans for game night, and then hesitantly brought up the invitation to the Burrow.

"Theo, I want everyone to get to know you, I just don't want you to feel uncomfortable. I love the Weasleys dearly, but they can be a bit much sometimes. Also, I'm a little worried about Molly's reaction. I'm afraid that she's still holding out hope that Ron and I will get together."

Theo nodded, "If this is important to you, I'm more than willing to accompany you. If it gets uncomfortable, I promise it won't be worse than anything I've had to endure while growing up. Also, you said that George and Tracy will be there. I know that I will enjoy myself with them."

Hermione giggled a little, "Tracy said to tell you that she needed another snake around."

Theo laughed too, "Well, there you go, it's settled. What about Daphne, is Harry bringing her?"

Hermione shrugged, "He wasn't sure. I told him to talk to her about it and they could make the decision together. He didn't know if he thought it would be better to bring her when I brought you for the first time to split the attention or wait until they go public. Oh, that reminds me. He asked me for my opinion on courtship. Again, I told him to talk about it with her, but he wants to do what would make her happy. He asked if you would help him with the rules, and customs of courtship. I told him to owl you, or talk to you when we all get together."

"Of course I'll help him. For what it's worth, I definitely think that Daphne would want to go that route if at all possible. It will give their relationship more credibility with her family and friends in the pureblood circles. Harry being who he is doesn't hurt, but a courtship will make it legitimate in their eyes. She would never come out and ask him though. She wasn't raised to be that forward." Theo paused and laughed a little to himself.

"What's so funny?" asked Hermione, poking him in the side.

"I'm just laughing about him asking about the rules of courtship. You and I are pretty much breaking them all. The official courtship rules would dictate that we always have a chaperone unless we are out in public and that we don't do more than exchange a chaste kiss or two until our marriage," Theo explained.

At this, Hermione burst into uncontrollable laughter. Theo took advantage of her laughter and began to tickle her, pinning her body with his to stop her from escaping. When she thought she couldn't take anymore, he unexpectedly stopped tickling her and was kissing her passionately. Her heart was already racing, and she was breathless. It made everything feel so much more intense. As their arousal grew, she became very aware of his body pressing against hers. She arched into him, wanting to feel his erection moving against her. She moaned into his mouth and repeated the action. Suddenly, they seemed to be wearing far too much clothing. She pulled his shirt over his head, then began trying to remove his trousers. He laughed, and assisted her, moaning loudly when she grabbed his cock through his boxers as soon as he removed his trousers.

"Theo, I need to feel you. Gods, I wish I could have you inside me." He had removed her shirt and bra and was kissing down her stomach, on the way to the button of her jeans.

He looked up at her face, and whispered, "Do you trust me?"

She replied without hesitation, "Of course I do."

He nodded and finished removing her clothing, then removed his boxers. When they were both completely nude, he flipped them so that she was straddling him, her wet folds resting on top of his erect cock. He told her to slide back and forth along his length, using her arousal fluids as lubrication. He showed her how to move so that they would keep the head of his cock away from the opening of her pussy. He reached up and pinched her nipples, then cupped her breasts as she began to move. It was maddening. The friction of the movement mixed with her natural lubrication felt amazing for both of them. As she rocked against him, he gripped her hips to help steady her. As she felt the tension building, she leaned forward and braced her hands against his shoulders, moving more quickly and giving him a perfect view of her swaying breasts close to his face. He began to whisper naughty words to her. Telling her how amazing she felt, and how much better it would feel when he could finally push his cock inside and claim her. How it would feel when he could come deep within her.

"Ungh, I'm so close," she moaned.

"Let go, beautiful, let me see you come undone. OHH, I'm almost there too. Let go. Come with me." Hermione shattered. She stopped moving with long strokes, rocking her hips in short movements to ride out the orgasm. Theo was coming too. Shooting his seed onto his stomach, and chest. She collapsed onto him, not caring if she would be covered in his come too.

She kissed him deeply, and said breathlessly, "That was amazing. If just doing that felt that good, I can't wait for the real thing with you. I love you so much, Theo."

As she snuggled into his chest, burying her head into his neck, he replied, "I love you too. You make me happier than I ever thought I could be. Making love with you for the first time will be one of the best moments of my life."

They lay there satiated and spent, basking in the joy that they both felt. Finally, unable to stand the sticky feeling any longer, Theo patted her arse, and said, "Let's go wash off this mess in the shower. It won't be very sexy when we wake up in the morning glued together if we fall asleep like this."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The next morning, they woke wrapped around each other. Hermione loved waking up next to him like this. She looked over and saw that he was already awake. "Good morning," she whispered.

"Good morning."

"Do you have any plans today, Theo?"

"No, I planned to spend the day with you, if that's okay."

"That's perfect. Could we go and visit the orphanage and children's center. I would really like to see it."

"Of course. I haven't been there in over a week. I usually go at least weekly, but with my business trip, I didn't get the chance to go this week."

After breakfast, they showered and dressed, and Theo apparated them to the orphanage. He explained that there wouldn't be many children at the children's center on a Saturday. As most of their guardians worked during the week. They entered through a reception area that had offices on each side. He explained that the director and secretary were only there during the week unless there was a special event.

As they moved toward the doorway that separated the reception area from the children's areas, they started to hear the sound of children's voices. When Theo opened the door, Hermione could hear the sound of laughter and lots of happy voices. He smiled down at her and told her that it sounded like the children were in the playroom. They walked into a large open room that was filled with playing children. Hermione didn't know where to look first. The room was painted a cheerful blue color and it was separated into different areas. There was a section with shelves of books, a cheerful rug, and soft seating where children of different ages were reading books, and in some cases, the older kids and adults were reading to younger children. There was an area that had a pretend house set up. It had a tiny wooden replica of a kitchen, complete with pretend food, and dishes. There was a rack of dress-up clothes to one side, and an area with beds, and baby dolls to the other. There was a massive rug that was surrounded by shelves housing blocks of every shape and size. There was a tiny section off to one side that was covered in squishy mats. This section was gated off to keep the babies, and toddlers separated from the older kids. Another area boasted shelves of art supplies, and tables for the children to create their own masterpiece. Through a pair of open double doors off of this room, Hermione could see another giant room that was filled with playground equipment, and she could see what looked like a quiddich pitch at the far end of the playground.

Hermione was amazed. She never expected this. This was far better than anything she ever imagined for an orphanage. Looking up at Theo, love, and awe shining in her eyes, she gasped, "Theo, this is wonderful. You are amazing. What you've done for these kids... I love you, and I love that you are so passionate about helping these children."

Just then, then the kids noticed Theo and he was immediately surrounded. Everyone wanted his attention. They were calling his name, showing him their artwork, asking him to read a story. Theo just smiled and spoke to each child in turn. He called them by name and asked about personal interests. He really knew each of these kids, and that impressed Hermione more than anything. His support of this place clearly wasn't just financial, he was the heart of it.

Theo introduced Hermione to the kids. Many of them recognized her name and she was instantly surrounded by her own little set of fans. The afternoon was spent, playing with the children. They read stories, drew pictures, built block castles, and generally had a wonderful time. Before they left, Hermione had learned the names of many of the children and staff. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so good. She left with promises that she would be back very soon, and with the knowledge that this place would become a huge part of her life.

...

The rest of the weekend had passed quickly, game night was great fun. Everyone enjoyed themselves. Even Ron and Pansy were getting alone. They had played as a team during several games, and interacted very well, laughing and talking along with everyone else. Pansy had invited the entire group to the grand opening of her new boutique the following Saturday. They all agreed and made plans to go together. Pansy asked Hermione and Daphne if they would mind wearing her designs to the opening to showcase some of the clothing. They happily agreed and planned to visit the boutique mid-week to choose something for the weekend.

Lunch at the Burrow had been interesting. George and Tracy were thrilled that they had come and happy that they had begun courting. Arthur, Bill, and Fleur had all been welcoming, and friendly as well. Molly was a different story. She had appeared to be friendly to Theo, welcoming him and speaking kindly. Anyone who didn't know Molly Weasley well wouldn't have had a second thought about her behavior. However, everyone there, except Theo, knew her better than that. Her interactions with him had been a little forced.

After lunch, Molly had cornered Hermione. Hermione, who realized what was coming, had sent Harry, Ron, and George a silent plea. They had understood what she was asking and ushered Theo outside. As soon as they were gone, Molly had told Hermione in no uncertain terms that in her opinion, Hermione was making a huge mistake. Saying that Theo was using her to repair his family's image. She informed Hermione that accepting a quick courtship with a wealthy wizard only made her look like she was after his money. Molly had made it no secret that she thought Hermione and Ron belonged together. No matter how many times they told her differently, they could tell that she was holding on to hope that they would eventually get together, and marry.

Hermione had known that Molly's behavior was likely because of some perceived slight to her family, but Hermione was having none of it. Molly had behaved this way in the past and Hermione knew the source of the issue. She had looked Molly in the eyes and said, "Reading Rita Skeeter again, Mrs. Weasley? Didn't you learn your lesson about that in our fourth year? I'm with Theo because he is kind, intelligent, and he cares about me. I'm with him because he makes me happier than I've ever been in my life. He is the one for me. He isn't using me, and I'm not after his money. I have enough money of my own to live comfortably. I don't need anyone else for that. Please think before you make accusations that you may regret. If I'm no longer welcome here as long as I'm with Theo, let me know now. I will choose him, he is going to be a permanent fixture in my life. He will be my husband and the father of my children one day. If you aren't okay with that, tell me now. We will leave and not come back."

A voice had spoken up from the doorway, "Hermione, that won't be necessary. You and Theo are both welcome here and always will be." Hermione had turned and seen Arthur standing there. She had thanked him, kissed him on the cheek, and went out to find the guys.

...

The opening of Pansy's shop had been a huge success. She sold lovely women's designs that appeared to have been created using a combination of magical and muggle means. Muggles didn't suspect anything, but some of the designs weren't possible without using a little magic. Ironically, she had named the boutique "Magic."

Daphne and Hermione both wore the styles beautifully. Hermione's outfit was a shimmery silver evening gown with a plunging neckline in the front and an almost backless design that showcased her back beautifully. Daphne's dress was a deep blue style with an equally plunging neckline, and a lacy covered back. The color looked wonderful with her golden blonde hair and icy blue eyes. Pansy had gone with a sinfully short emerald-colored dress for herself.

The magical thing about Pansy's designs was that they could be worn without the need for a bra while offering the perfect amount of coverage and support. Everything also stayed perfectly in place, protecting the modesty of the wearer no matter how risque the design. Hermione knew that the muggle world would go wild for this clothing line. Other designers would want to know her secret. No one in the muggle world would ever suspect that the answer was actually right in front of them, the name of the boutique, "Magic." It was brilliant.

They had all had a lovely evening. Pansy had been thrilled with how everything had gone. The group ended the evening with a toast to her success.

That had been a little over a month ago. Today was Hermione's 25th birthday, and she was getting ready for dinner with her friends. As she dressed, she thought back to all that had happened between that lunch at the burrow and today. She still hadn't made as much progress as she wanted in the research for May. They had been unable to locate the missing pages from the journals that she had found at Theo's. In the next few weeks, she was planning to call a meeting with the group to ask permission to bring Malfoy in. His library was necessary, and she was pretty sure that she would need someone more skilled in potions than she. Malfoy would be perfect. They wouldn't need to tell two different people, and he had just as much at stake in this as the rest of them. He wouldn't spill their secret, because he would want them to succeed.

Harry and Daphne had officially begun courting last week. They had allowed themselves to be seen in public, and of course, the Prophet was having a field day with another member of the golden trio courting someone from a family that had associated with death eaters. Harry hated the attention, but he knew that going public with his relationship with Daphne was necessary. They couldn't wait until May and hope that people didn't question the fact that they were all suddenly married. Even with all of the negative attention, Harry was the happiest that Hermione had ever seen him. Daphne was perfect for him. Her quiet, supportive nature was just what he needed.

If Molly had taken Hermione and Theo's courtship badly, it was nothing compared to how she took the news of Harry and Daphne's. Harry had gone to visit her without Daphne when the news broke, and to say that she was upset would have been a huge understatement. He had looked stricken when he relayed to Hermione how Molly had gone on and on about how he belonged with Ginny. Harry said that he had felt extremely uncomfortable, and like Hermione, he was grateful that Arthur had stepped in and prevented it from getting even worse.

Hermione finished dressing, and emerged from her bedroom, looking around for Theo. They were basically living together now. There was never a formal discussion about the arrangements, but they didn't ever spend a night apart. They alternated between their two residences, staying wherever was most convenient.

Theo stood from his spot on the couch, and said, "You look beautiful. Do you want your gift now, or when everyone else arrives."

She smiled at him, "You look nice as well. Whatever you prefer is fine. I can wait if you want to give it to me later."

"I want to give it to you now," replied Theo with a grin. "I was only going to wait if you insisted. Sit down, I'll be right back." When he returned, he was carrying two packages. One was very small, and the other was relatively large.

"Which should I open first?"

"I'll leave that up to you, beautiful."

Hermione opened the larger package, and gasped, it was a first edition copy of Hogwarts a History. "Oh Theo, thank you! I have always wanted to find a copy of this. How did you know?"

Theo smirked, "Harry," came the simple reply.

"Of course, I should have known," laughed Hermione. She opened the second box. Inside were beautiful diamond earrings, with a silver setting. They would look wonderful with her courtship necklace. "They are gorgeous, I love them! Thank you, Theo, you didn't have to spend so much on me. I love my presents, but I would love anything that you got me. I love you so much"

"You're welcome, I love you too. I enjoy buying nice things for you. You should get used to it."

She leaned up and kissed him. "I should go change my earrings before the others get here."

...

"Well, that could have gone better," remarked Hermione, entering her flat with Theo several hours later.

"Understatement," replied Theo.

Hermione sighed, "What are we going to do about Ron and Pansy?"

The evening had been going well until Pansy ended up crying in the ladies' room. Hermione and Daphne had attempted to comfort her. Through her tears, she explained that she was upset and frustrated that the other two couples had progressed to courtship, while she and Ron hadn't even had a date. She went on to say that she knew that she had been horrible when they were kids, but that she wasn't like that anymore. She was so upset that Ron was still refusing to give her a chance. Hermione had stormed out of the ladies' room, planning to give Ron a piece of her mind, only to find that he had left, guessing what was coming.

"We need a plan to get them to spend a good chunk of time together, and actually talk to each other. Short of trapping them somewhere, I don't know how we can make that happen," mused Theo.

Hermione grabbed Theo and kissed him hard. "Theo, you're a genius!"

"Wha?" muttered a confused Theo.

"You've just given me a great idea! I think we can make it work. I just need to talk to George Weasley."

"George, why George?" asked Theo, growing more confused.

"I need his assistance to figure out a few things. We're also going to need Jaycee to carry this off. Do you think she would help us?"

"You need help from George Weasley and my house elf. Can you please explain what you're thinking? To answer your question though, Jaycee loves you. She will do anything that you ask. Now, tell me what you're thinking."

Once Hermione told Theo what she had in mind, They contacted Harry and Daphne who came right over. When they were told of the plan, they thought it was brilliant, and both agreed to help. Jaycee was thrilled when Hermione asked for her assistance, and when she was told what she would be doing, the little house elf got very excited. The next step was George.

The next day, Hermione went to see George. She explained what she needed, not giving him details about why she would need such a thing. After explaining, she asked if he could help. He immediately agreed, teasing her a little about trying to prank someone. Once he got the obligatory teasing out of the way, he told her that he would let her know as soon as he figured out the spell that she would need to carry out her plan.

...

On Monday morning, Hermione sat at her desk, in deep thought. The time had come to request a meeting to get permission to bring Draco Malfoy into the loop. She sent Kinglsey a note, telling him that the team needed a meeting to speak about possibly adding a member. She purposely kept the note vague, in case someone else happened to see it.

When she returned from lunch, she found that he had responded. They were to all meet with Kingsley, in his office on Wednesday evening. With a time and place set, she sent off owls to everyone else, asking them to be there.

Wednesday evening finally arrived. Hermione was nervous not knowing if everyone else would agree to bring Draco in. She had spoken to Theo about this and they were in agreement. She just wasn't sure how the others would feel. Sighing, she entered Kingsley's office. Looking around, she realized that she was the last to arrive. Smiling, she greeted everyone, then turned to Kingsley. He greeted her, then asked, "Hermione, your note was vague, what's this about?"

Hermione took a deep breath, and began, "I have two issues that can be solved by collaborating with one person. First, I have exhausted the resources in the libraries of everyone in this room, as well as the Ministry Library and the library in the DoM. I need access to a large private library that is likely to have information on bonding rituals and blood magic."

Hermione glanced at Theo, who nodded reassuringly. She continued, "I am also finding that the potions that will need to be brewed in preparation for the rituals are above my ability level. I'm skilled at potions, but not good enough for this. Theo and Daphne are both capable of assisting, but their level is equal to mine. We need someone who is an expert in potions. A master would be best." Hermione looked straight at Kinglsey. "There is one person, employed by the ministry who can fulfill both of these requirements. This person once brought up to date, will have every reason to assist us, and keep this a secret." She looked around and saw understanding in the eyes of everyone except for Ron. They had all caught on to the identity of the person. "I see that most of you have realized the identity of the person since no one is objecting, does that mean you are okay with doing this?"

Everyone nodded, except Ron, "Wait, who are you talking about?" They were all watching Ron when comprehension dawned on his face, "No! Not him, he's a prat. We can't trust him."

"Ron, we can trust him. When he knows what we are doing, I believe that he will want to help," said Hermione.

Daphne spoke up at this point, "I promise you, that Draco will help us. He will take this seriously. He would do anything in his power to give my sister the child that she so desperately wants. I know that you formed an opinion long ago, about who Draco is, but he isn't the same person now. He truly loves my sister, and this is breaking them. Ron, he is the right person to trust with this."

Ron nodded, but kept his eyes on the floor, "If the rest of you agree that you want to trust him, I won't try to stop it. Just know that I don't think this is the best choice. If this backfires, I want it known that I wasn't the one who made this decision."

Kingsley spoke at this point, "Alright, we are decided. How do we want to do this? A full meeting again, or just Hermione and I?"

Theo was the one who answered. "I think we should keep full team meetings to a minimum. We run the risk of it getting out that the seven of us are meeting. We don't want to be hassled by the press any more than we already are. We should try to keep a low profile if at all possible. It won't look as strange for Hermione and Draco to meet here. They are both ministry employees, and both from the same department."

Everyone nodded, and Kingsley spoke again, "That's settled. Hermione, I know that we've been meeting outside of business hours, but we don't truly know that we've gone unnoticed. I think that a second meeting within a week involving you could cause some questions to be asked if anyone has been watching. We want to avoid that. I think we should plan to meet next Friday morning. I will contact Mr. Malfoy myself. Don't mention the meeting to anyone. I will arrange for breakfast for the three of us that morning. Plan to come in an hour early. I'll come up with some reason to delay Percy's arrival that day. We should go unnoticed if we do this before everyone arrives for the day." Hermione nodded and rose to leave.

...

The next two weeks ended up being very busy. George contacted Hermione to let her know that he had completed what she needed from him. The plan was almost ready to be implemented, and she was hopeful that it would work. She let Harry and Daphne know that she was ready for them to do their part. They planned to put it into action on the same Friday that Hermione was meeting with Draco.

The meeting with Draco went well. He was very receptive to what they were doing and happy to learn that there may actually be a solution to the fertility problem. He even offered to assist Hermione with searching his library for anything that may be helpful. They decided that she would come to the Manor the following week to begin their research. He told her that he would tell his wife that they were working on a confidential project for the DoM together. He explained that she was aware that he sometimes wasn't allowed to discuss his work, and that she wouldn't ask any questions.

That settled, Hermione did something she never did and left work early. She had much to do to enact the plan to get Ron and Pansy alone and talking.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Late that evening, Ron used the key that Harry had provided to enter a room in a very nice muggle hotel. Harry had told him that they had a secret mission for the Aurors and that he would be meeting Ron there. He explained that the mission was likely to take several days.

Ron entered the room, expecting to be alone until Harry arrived. Instead, he found Pansy Parkinson lounging on the bed. He gaped at her, "What are you doing here?"

"Me, what are you doing here? Daphne is supposed to be meeting me here for a girl's weekend. Why are you here?" Pansy retorted.

"Girl's weekend? No, Harry said that I was supposed to come here for an Auror mission. He's meeting me here," shot back a confused Ron.

Pansy put her face in her hands, finally realizing what happened, "There is no girl's weekend and no Auror mission. They set us up."

Ron shook his head, scowling, "I don't know why they think that will work. I don't have to stay here. I'm leaving!" With that, he turned around and tried to open the door. It wouldn't budge. "What the hell is wrong with this bloody door?" Shouted an angry Ron.

Pansy sighed, "I'm guessing that they figured out some kind of way to keep us in here, charmed the door to lock us in. They wouldn't have set this up without planning for everything." Telling Ron, "You may as well get comfortable, it's going to be a long weekend."

"I'm not giving up that easily, what about that fellytone thing next to you? What does it say?" He picked up the phone and tried pressing a few buttons. Putting it to his ear, he exclaimed, "It's not doing anything, isn't it supposed to make a noise or something?"

"I told you, you're wasting your time. They would have thought of absolutely everything. Sit down," ordered Pansy.

Ron flopped down on the bed with a huff. He looked around, and whined, "What are we supposed to do about food? They trapped us here with no way out, and I'm starving."

"Oh, stop your whining, I have some snacks, and I'm sure they will find a way to feed us," replied Pansy.

"Wait," said Ron, standing suddenly. "We didn't try apparating out of here."

Pansy rolled her eyes, "I'm sure they thought of that too." Sure enough, Ron turned on the spot, and nothing happened.

Almost immediately, a soft pop sounded in the room, and a small house elf appeared. She was dressed in a floral printed dress, obviously a free elf. Smiling brightly, she spoke to them at once, "Good evening, Jaycee has come to bring yous a note, and some food. Jaycee won't get you out of here, no, no she won't. So, don't ask. Jaycee can only let yous out when yous have completed the requirements."

Ron's head shot up at this, "What are the requirements?"

"No, no, no, Jaycee can't be telling, yous must figure that out for yousselves. Here is yous food, Jaycee will bring yous more tomorrow." Without another word, the elf was gone. Leaving a folded letter, and a basket of food.

Pansy grabbed the note and scanned the contents. "What does it say?" demanded Ron.

"Pretty much what I expected. We have to talk everything out, resolve our differences, and come to an understanding before we can get out of this room."

Ron snorted in disgust. "I guess it's going to be a long weekend. I'm hungry. I'm going to see what they gave us to eat." Ron began removing items from the basket of food and shoving food into his mouth.

Pansy sat back and watched as he ate. Finally, she spoke, "Why do you hate me so much? I know that I was horrid when we were kids, but I'm not that person anymore. I've apologized, and proven time after time that I'm not like that now, but you refuse to give me a chance."

Ron looked thoughtful, "Honestly, my biggest issue is that you tried to hand Harry over to Voldemort."

Pansy sighed, "I'm going to tell you something. I need you to listen until I'm finished. Please don't interrupt, and please, if you have any kindness in your heart at all, really listen to what I'm going to tell you."

She looked up at Ron, waiting for confirmation, he nodded, so she continued, "During the war, I tried to stay invisible. I was terrified. My father was a death eater, as were all of his friends. I didn't want any part of it. I honestly didn't believe in blood purity any more than you, but I wasn't safe. My father... he wasn't a good father... he was abusive to me when I was growing up. He hurt me physically, many, many times. It wasn't just a swatting for misbehaving. As I got older, he began to allude to the fact that he would be using me as a bargaining chip to secure something that he wanted. Knowing this, I tried to stay hidden. I failed at that. I visited Draco at Malfoy Manor one day, and that horrible, noseless, madman was there. It was the first time I'd been face to face with him. Unfortunately, I wasn't invisible anymore. After that meeting, he went to my father and expressed interest in me. As soon as I finished school, I was set to become the Dark Lord's mistress. My father was using me to gain favor in his organization. I was terrified. I knew that there were spies everywhere. So, I had to do everything I could to ensure that I wouldn't be caught going against him. Trust me, I was praying that Harry Potter would be victorious. I didn't want anything to do with Voldemort. I wanted to have a chance to fall in love and live a normal life, but I had to do everything I could, to at least stay as safe as possible. I tried to hand Harry over, only to try to protect myself. I was scared, I know that I'm not brave like you, Hermione, and Harry. I just didn't know what to do." With that, her voice broke and she burst into tears. She curled into a protective little ball and cried.

Ron couldn't believe what he was hearing. During his childhood, he had thought all of these rich Slytherins led privileged lives. He couldn't imagine growing up in a family that didn't offer love and protection. Learning this about Pansy, made him realize that he had been very wrong.

He cautiously approached the bed where Pansy was crying. Gingerly, he sat next to her and laid a hand on her back, and spoke quietly, "Pansy, I'm so sorry. I was wrong. I couldn't see beyond what I thought I knew, to try and understand what you lot could have been facing. I thought you were all spoiled, prejudiced, brats. All the while, I've been the prejudiced one. I'm so sorry, can you forgive me?"

Pansy couldn't reply, she was still sobbing. Ron hesitantly moved both arms to gather her close. She shifted to allow him to embrace her fully and curled into his body. He apologized over and over and murmured what he hoped were soothing words. Ron had never been good with this sort of thing, but he truly felt bad for his behavior and assumptions.

Eventually, Pansy cried herself out. She looked up at Ron and gave him a tentative smile, "Thank you," she whispered, her voice a little scratchy from all the crying.

"You have nothing to thank me for. I should thank you for being willing to give me a chance after my behavior. I'm so sorry, can you forgive me? I honestly, never thought... I didn't realize what it may have been like for the children of death eaters. I assumed the wrong things."

"I can forgive you. I truly appreciate you taking the time to listen to me and understand."

Ron nodded, and then he really looked at her, probably for the first time in his life, he noticed how pretty she was. Suddenly, he was kissing her, and she was kissing him back. At this moment, Ron wished that he hadn't been so stubborn. Everything about this felt right.

The next morning, Jaycee returned carrying a new basket of food. She quietly left the basket, smiling a the sight before her. The couple was fast asleep, sharing a bed, and curled around each other. She popped away, excited to tell her master and mistress that their plan had worked.

...

The next week, Hermione found herself closed into the library at Malfoy Manor with Draco. They went through books, journals, and handwritten notes. Finally, after 4 days of searching, Draco looked up, and smiled, "I think I have something," excitement evident in his tone.

Draco had indeed found what they needed. Hermione was thrilled, "Draco! That's the missing page from the journal that I found at Theo's along with a much more detailed description of the ritual." Hermione looked closer at the book, eyes growing wide, she took it reverently. "Is this what I think it is?"

Draco smirked, "Just what do you think it is?"

Hermione decided to ignore the smart arse remark. She was too excited to let him get a rise out of her. "Is this really a grimoire?"

Draco nodded, "It is. This is has been in my family for hundreds of years. I had been planning to check it first, but it wasn't where it was supposed to be. I found it last night, hidden in my father's study. My guess is that the Dark Lord used it when he was in residence here," Draco shuddered as he whispered the last part.

Hermione smiled at him reassuringly, "Well, I'm glad you found it. This is exactly what we need. Let's have a look and see what it says about the rituals that are required and any potions that needed to be prepared in advance. Hermione and Draco skimmed the text together. Hermione pointed to a set of instructions for the required potion, eyes wide, and face pale. "Do you see this? We need the blood of a virgin! How on earth are we going to get that?"

Draco huffed at her, "You didn't expect this to be easy, did you? That madman would have made sure that if someone did discover the curse that it would be virtually impossible to reverse it in time."

Hermione sighed, "I know, but this is a banned potion ingredient. Using virgin's blood is considered dark magic."

"Yes, usually," replied Draco, "but look at this, we will only need a few drops. It's not like we will need to sacrifice a virgin for Salazar's sake. We can do this, Shacklebolt isn't going to stop us, we will be doing this with his blessing. You will just need to find a virgin that will give us a few drops of her blood."

"I know that you're right, but where on earth are we going to find a virgin that will give us blood, without having to let more people in on this secret?"

Reading further, Draco soon commented again, "Look at this, it seems that you will also need someone who was marked to participate in the final ritual."

Hermione looked over at Draco, grinning broadly, "Congratulations, it looks like you've just won yourself a trip to Dinas Emry."

Draco rolled his eyes, "Does it have to be me?"

"It does. We're avoiding telling too many people. The more who know, the more chance that we will be discovered. Regardless, the only other marked death eaters that are still alive are on the run or in Azkaban. Sorry, you're our only option."

Draco nodded, "Of course I will participate. I have too much at stake to refuse."

...

Hermione met with Kinglsey the next day to fill him in on their findings. When she explained the issue that they had encountered, he had sat there staring at her, momentarily speechless. When he recovered, he asked her if she had talked to the others about this? Shaking her head, she explained that she hadn't done that yet because she wanted to talk to him first. He nodded and told her to talk to everyone else and see if they had any ideas. He thought that maybe one of them knew of someone that they could bring in discreetly who would be willing to help. She agreed, and let him know that she would keep him informed. He ended the meeting by telling her that she shouldn't worry because they still had time. It was only just November, and they didn't need to begin brewing the potion until late February on the full moon. The virgin's blood wouldn't need to be added until late March on the next full moon.

During their meeting, she also explained that they would need Draco to participate. She showed Kinglsey the ritual that they would need to perform. Thankfully, compared to everything else, this was relatively simple. The only difficulty they would encounter with this would be to make sure that the timing was perfect.

Hermione had left the meeting knowing logically that they could figure out the issue with procuring virgin's blood before the full moon in March, but she didn't like the unknown. Usually, she had a plan and a backup plan. Uncertainty was not in her nature.

Going straight home after the meeting, she had talked to Theo about everything. She loved that he not only listened to what she had to say but was able to calm her and get her to see reason. They decided that they needed to talk to the whole group as soon as possible and since it was Friday already, they asked everyone to come over for dinner the following night. The whole group hadn't been together for a fun night since Hermione's birthday. It was long overdue.

Everyone accepted the invitation to dinner the next evening. They decided to order pizza instead of cooking. Hermione was setting out boxes of pizza and bowls of salad when everyone got there. Pansy and Ron arrived together for the evening, and they didn't leave each other's side. She was glad to see that their relationship was finally progressing.

After dinner, they took drinks into the sitting room. Harry was the one to ask, "Hermione, what's going on. I get the feeling that tonight had a purpose other than just a fun, social evening."

Hermione replied, addressing the group, "Yes, as most of you know, I spent the week looking through the library at Malfoy Manor." Everyone nodded so she continued, "We found what we need, but we encountered a small problem." Hermione saw everyone's faces fall at this statement.

"Is the problem something that we can't fix?" asked Daphne.

"No," answered Hermione, biting her lip, "it's just something that we need to discuss. We need a plan for the best way to approach this. The problem is that we need the blood of a virgin for the potion to be completed." She glanced around at the looks of horror, and quickly added, "We only need a few drops. We don't have to sacrifice a virgin or anything like that!"

There was a collective sigh of relief, and she noticed that Harry and Daphne had exchanged a meaningful look. They seemed to be silently communicating. At Harry's encouraging nod, Daphne spoke softly, confessing, "I may be able to help with that. You see, I'm a virgin." She took a breath, and continued quickly, "It was an expectation in pureblood society that girls remain virginal until their wedding night. It was typically a requirement in a marriage contract. I was betrothed to someone who was quite a few years older than me. He left Hogwarts the year before we started, he took the mark and was killed during the final battle. I was happy that he died, I hadn't wanted to marry him, but afterward, I didn't date very much. I decided that since I had already waited so long, I would wait for love. And now, well, since we all have to wait to be with each other until the bondings are complete..." She trailed off and looked at her hands, turning slightly pink.

Harry took her hands in his, and murmured, "There is nothing to be embarrassed about. No one will think differently about you."

"Daphne, waiting for love is admirable. It's nothing to be ashamed of," said Hermione. The others nodded in agreement. Hermione smiled, "Not only is it admirable, but it solves our problem if you will agree to give us a few drops of your blood."

Daphne nodded, "Of course you can have a few drops of blood. We are all already giving one drop each for the potion, what's a few more. Besides, it seems like such as small thing compared to what we have all already agreed to." Everyone chuckled and nodded emphatically at this.

Hermione glanced over at Daphne, "Seriously though, I know that it wasn't easy for you to share something so private. I'm happy that you were able to solve the problem for us. Thank you for being willing to do this." Everyone quickly agreed with Hermione. Serious business concluded, the group spent the rest of the evening enjoying each other's company.

...

The rest of November and most of December passed in a cold and snowy blur. Everyone was happy in their relationships, and things were progressing nicely. They had celebrated Pansy's birthday in November with a meal that Hermione had cooked with the assistance of Jaycee at Nott Manor.

Draco and Hermione had devised a plan for the two months that it would take to brew the necessary potions. They had a timetable set, and had begun to collect some of the necessary ingredients. They wouldn't have a second chance at this. They had to get the potion exactly right on the first try. Hermione had continued to research the rituals. She was sure that they had the correct one now, but she wanted to make sure that they had all the information possible before May. They needed to know all there was to know.

While reading the journals, and Draco's family grimoire, she kept seeing notations about the same book. It appeared in three different publications that she read. Unfortunately, there wasn't a copy in any of the libraries that she had access to. A week before Christmas, she visited a rare book shop in Diagon Alley to see if they could get a copy, but they didn't know of any that still existed. They promised to make inquiries with other book shops to see if they could acquire the volume for Hermione.

When Hermione stepped out of the little shop, she stopped to look around the Alley, and enjoy the Christmas decorations the shop owners had put out. She was almost done with her shopping, but she had a few small things to finish up. She wandered along, trying to get ideas for the few people still left to shop for. Not seeing anything that caught her eye, she headed into muggle London.

Soon, she had found the presents she needed to buy and had purchased herself several new wardrobe items. Hermione and Theo would be taking a Portkey to Brisbane, Australia on the evening of Christmas Eve. Even though Hermione's parents couldn't remember her, she missed them terribly. Theo, understanding this, had booked a lovely vacation home right on the beach, near where her parents now lived. They would arrive on Christmas Eve, with Daphne, Harry, Pansy, and Ron joining them on Boxing Day. The others had family obligations on Christmas Day. Hermione and Theo had planned to leave on the 23rd, but the Weasleys had invited them to spend Christmas Eve at the Burrow. Hermione had been hesitant at first, after what had happened when she brought Theo there for the first time.

...

On 22 December, Ron, Harry, and Hermione paid a surprise visit to the Children's Center, and Orphanage run by Theo's foundation. Hermione had been back regularly since her first visit with Theo. This was the first time that Ron or Harry had gone. They came armed with sacks full of gifts. They had persuaded Arthur Weasley to dress up as Father Christmas to hand out the presents. Hermione was surprised when Molly showed up with him dressed like Mrs. Claus. The children were so excited to see Hermione. She was immediately surrounded and greeted. She introduced the children to Harry and Ron and saw the wide-eyed looks when they recognized them.

Hermione announced that they had brought some special visitors to see everyone and the children were thrilled when they saw Father Christmas. Arthur and Molly looked like they had a grand time passing out presents to the children. All of the kids were thrilled with their gifts. Hermione was assisting the staff with passing out a special snack of holiday biscuits to all of the children when Theo arrived.

Hermione greeted Theo with a kiss, as all of the children called out to him. They were all trying to tell him at once about Harry and Ron, the gifts, and Father Christmas. He just smiled and told them to finish their snack and promised that he was going to stay and play so they would be able to tell him everything.

As the children finished eating, the staff moved them into the indoor playground. Theo explained to Harry, Ron, Molly, and Arthur that they had an outdoor playground as well, but that the indoor one was used when it was very cold, or the weather was stormy.

Hermione saw Molly's face as Theo showed them around, then as he played with the children and called them by name. She saw when the older woman realized how wrong she'd been about Theo. Before they left, Molly approached her with tears in her eyes. "Hermione, dear, I'm so sorry that I misjudged that boy. He has a good heart and I can tell how happy he makes you. Can you please forgive me?"

Hermione hugged her and said, "Of course I can."

Hermione chuckled to herself. She hoped that this would be a lesson to Molly about rushing to judgment. She wished that the older woman would give Pansy a chance as soon as Ron brought her round to the Burrow. Unfortunately, Hermione knew that was unlikely. Molly was very like Ron. They both rushed to judgment based on what they thought they knew, then became apologetic and sheepish when they realized their error.

Before they left, Hermione saw Harry pull Theo aside and thank him for everything that he had done for these children. Hermione could see the emotion in Harry's eyes, and she knew that he was wishing that he'd had a happy place like this to grow up, instead of being forced to live with his abusive relatives. Hermione could tell that Harry would be spending much of his time, and likely money to support this place in the future. She heard him talking to Theo more, making plans to come back.

...

"Well, that was interesting," laughed Hermione, as she and Theo arrived back at Hermione's flat after the Christmas Eve celebration at the Burrow.

Theo raised his eyebrows, "You have a fascinating definition of what's interesting. I would call that a bit of a disaster."

"I'm trying to think positive. Anyway, Molly and Ginny are always like that about the new women in the Weasley sons' lives. They were awful to both Fleur and Tracy at first too."

"So the tears, and saying that her son's life is over if he's saddled with Pansy? That's normal?"

"Unfortunately."

"Well, I think we should have a nice bottle of fire whiskey waiting when they arrive the day after tomorrow. I think they will both need it, especially after facing Pansy's mother tomorrow. She's a real piece of work too. Thinking about it, I'm actually not sure who is worse."

Hermione laughed at this, "Come on, we need to grab our luggage. We don't want to miss our Portkey!"


	12. Chapter 12

Notes:

Thank you to those of you who read, followed, reviewed, and favorited! It makes me happy to know that you are enjoying my story!

Thanks to the guest who pointed out a couple of spelling errors. I do not have a beta, so mistakes will happen. I am open to anything that helps me improve.

I do not own the characters!

Chapter 12

A few hours later, they were standing in a lovely beach house in Australia. Due to the time difference, it was already Christmas morning. They decided that they would exchange gifts with each other, then have a nap before going out to the dinner reservation that they had made for Christmas dinner. Theo suggested that they go exchange their gifts on the beach while enjoying the beautiful sunrise. Hermione quickly agreed. They decided that they better change quickly before heading out to the beach. Their clothing was appropriate for the snowy winter day that they had left behind. Hermione slipped on a simple summer dress and a pair of thong sandals and went to find Theo. He was standing next to the door holding a large tote bag, and waiting for her. She smiled and took his hand and they headed out to the beach.

When they had found a nice spot, near where the waves were crashing onto the beach, Theo reached into the tote and pulled out a beach blanket. He laid it out and gestured for her to have a seat. They sat next to each other and watched the sun begin to come over the horizon.

As they watched, he began to speak to her, "Hermione, I can honestly say that this has been the best year of my life. This time last year, I was sitting alone in a bar. I'd had a few friends invite me to spend Christmas with their families, but essentially I was alone. Now, I have you, and it's better than I could have ever imagined. I love you, and I'm so looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you and creating a family with you.

So, Hermione..." He rose to one knee, facing her, and pulled something from his pocket. Her heart was beating wildly, realizing what was coming. She hadn't been expecting this today. He smiled, at her, noticing the tears filling her eyes. "Hermione, will you marry me? Not because we need to break a curse, but because I love you and you love me, and we want to get married for us."

"Yes! Yes, Theo, I'll marry you! I love you so much, and I can't wait to start our life together," she replied, launching herself into his arms.

He held her close and asked, "Can I put this on you?" holding out the ring.

"Of course," she said with a watery smile. He placed the beautiful ring on her finger, and kissed her, putting everything he was feeling into the kiss.

"Merlin Theo, it's beautiful," said Hermione a few minutes later, holding out her hand to examine her ring. It matched her courtship necklace exactly. It was silver, with a large round diamond in the center, surrounded by tiny sapphires, and more small diamonds covering the band.

"I'm glad you like it."

"Oh, I almost forgot, here's your gift! She handed him the beautifully wrapped box. He opened it and inside was an expensive-looking watch. Upon examination, Theo realized that like the jewelry he had purchased for her, it was goblin made. It was an impressive piece. It had a silver band, with a shimmery, white face. Where the numbers should have been were tiny sapphires, the same color as those in her jewelry. "I had it commissioned especially for you. It has the same kinds of protective charms on it that you had placed on my jewelry. I need you to be safe too, I don't know what I would do without you."

"Before you put it on, let me show you something." She flipped the watch over and showed him the back.

It was engraved, "Forever, My Love," he whispered, rubbing his thumb across the words. "Thank you, it's wonderful. I love the watch... I love you... I can't believe that this is my life! After everything, this feels like a dream. Gods, I want to take you inside and make love to you all day long. I can't wait until that is possible."

"Me either," She winked at him, "although, I'm sure that we can come up with something to occupy us until dinner."

He tossed her on the bed, kissing her passionately. They had made quick work of each other's clothing on the way into the bedroom. Theo's hands wandered down her body, finding her nipples and rolling them between his fingers, making her moan loudly. "Theo! Oh, I need you so badly."

"Hermione, can I try something a little different? Something I've been fantasizing about?" He was massaging her breasts in a way that made her crazy. She was having trouble getting words to form. She nodded her approval instead. Grinning, he kissed her deeply, enjoying the feel of his tongue against hers.

As she began moaning again, he pulled away slightly, "I need you facedown on the bed with that gorgeous arse in the air and your legs spread for me. I'm going to lick every, beautiful inch of you." A thrill went through Hermione, she moved to comply with his wishes. Theo was always confident in bed, but this was different, this was exciting. She felt herself growing wet with her arousal. She could feel him behind her, he wasn't touching her at all, but anticipating what might be coming next was making her breathless.

Theo slowly licked up one leg from knee to the crease of her arse. He placed a hand on each of her arse cheeks, applying pressure to spread her wide as he leaned in and licked her from her clit all the way to her tight, puckered back entrance. She tensed a bit. This wasn't something she had experienced before. Noticing her tension, he asked, "Want me to stop?"

"No" she gasped. "I like it, it's just new." Permission granted, he began to lick every inch of her most private parts that he could reach, his tongue moving wildly, but not staying in one place long enough for her to find release. It felt amazing but maddening. He pulled away, and she whimpered, "Please, Theo, don't stop." She felt him shift behind her and suddenly, he was sliding between her legs face up.

Noticing her look of confusion, he smirked, then murmured huskily, "Sit on my face." Placing his hands at her waist, he helped her move so that she was sitting upright, straddling his face. He began to lick her with long, light, teasing strokes. She felt him reach back with his hand and run his fingers through her moisture. Then his finger was pressing against her back entrance. She drew in a sharp breath at the unexpected sensation when she felt the finger slide in.

It felt tight and uncomfortable at first, then quickly began to feel amazing, she groaned, "Ugnh, Theo, gods, what are you doing to me." Suddenly, he slid two fingers of his other hand into her pussy, as he simultaneously sucked hard on her clit, and she immediately came apart. It was the most intense orgasm of her life. She rode out wave, after wave, rocking on his face. It was the most erotic, and intimate experience of her life. She wasn't a virgin by anyone's standards, but somehow this was much more intimate than any sex she'd ever had.

Hermione slid bonelessly down Theo's body to be cradled in his arms. She was aware that he still hadn't been allowed his own release, but couldn't move to do anything about it at the moment. Slowly coming back to her senses, she leaned up and kissed Theo, tasting herself on his lips. "Theo, that was so incredibly erotic, I didn't expect that at all, but it was amazing." She reached down and encircled his extremely, hard cock with her hand. "Now that I've had some recovery time, what would you like me to do to you?"

"As always, I don't expect anything in return, but I'm not going to turn down that kind of offer either. No rush, my love. Whenever you're ready."

Later that evening, after they had both reached their pleasure peak multiple times, and taken a refreshing nap, Theo and Hermione were dressed for dinner. Their reservation was at one of the nicer local restaurants, and it was Christmas, so they had decided to get more dressed up than usual. Pansy had designed and provided their wardrobe for the evening. Hermione wore a sapphire-colored cocktail dress that was a simple column of silk that hugged her curves just right and did amazing things for her figure. The dress showcased her necklace, and engagement ring perfectly. Pansy had provided Theo with a charcoal grey, muggle suit, with a pale blue shirt and sapphire color tie made from the same fabric as Hermione's dress.

Theo came up behind her and nuzzled her neck, "Mmmm, you look stunning, good enough to eat. I love your dress, but I do think it's missing something."

"Missing something? What?" He answered by simply holding out a square box. "Theo, what is this? You already gave me my present."

"Nope," he said, smiling brightly, "this is your real present. I was always going to get you a ring when I proposed. That doesn't count for a Christmas present, silly." She rolled her eyes at him, but accepted it, knowing that it made him happy to give her nice things.

Opening the box, she gasped, "Theo, it's beautiful! Help me put it on, please" She held out her wrist, and he placed the bracelet that completed the set around her wrist. It was then that she noticed something else inside the box. It was two, tiny circles of sapphires. "What are these for?"

"Take off your earrings, and you'll see." Removing her earrings, she handed them over and watched as he placed the ring of sapphires around each diamond. The sapphires encircled the diamonds perfectly, allowing her to wear the earrings with or without the added gems. It was genius, really. She gazed into the mirror, taking in their reflection. She looked very much the image of some rich, pampered woman. It wasn't her usual look, but she could admit that it was nice on occasion.

"I wish we had could get a picture of ourselves dressed up like this. We are celebrating both our first Christmas together and our engagement," sighed Hermione, wistfully.

Theo smirked, "I've got that covered, love." Hermione watched as he levitated a camera in front of them and charmed it to take several shots. "You didn't notice earlier, but I had this on the beach when I proposed too. We will have pictures of the actual moment we got engaged once we develop them."

"Oh Theo, as much as I love all of the beautiful jewelry, that is the best present of all. Thank you for thinking of that. I love you."

When they arrived at the restaurant, they were led to a quiet corner. There was only one other table near them, and it was unoccupied at the moment. They ordered their food, and sat, quietly chatting while they waited for the appetizers to arrive. Hermione looked up when she saw that a couple was being seated at the next table, and eyes wide with shock, looked at Theo, the couple was her parents.

"Theo, did you do that? Did you somehow arrange for them to be here?"

He smiled softly and took her hand. "I know how much you want to see them. Even if you couldn't have them back as your parents. I wanted to make sure that in some small way, you got to spend Christmas with them. So, I sent a Christmas card with a voucher for Christmas dinner at this restaurant. When I made our reservations, I made theirs as well, and requested this set-up."

Eyes filled with unshed tears, she was smiled at him lovingly. "Thank you, you have made my Christmas perfect, so much more than I ever dreamed. What did I do to deserve you?"

"I love you, Hermione. I will always do anything I can to make you happy."

Dinner had been lovely, they had covertly placed an eavesdropping charm on her parents to allow Hermione to listen to their dinner conversation. When she had visited after the war and attempted to remove the memory charm, they had seemed quite happy, but hearing them talk about the fun things they had done recently, and their upcoming travel plans made her know with certainty that they were content with their life here. It gave her a sense of peace, and closure that she didn't have before. Theo generously offered to make this a Christmas tradition if she desired. She had explained that she appreciated his lovely offer, but she didn't need it anymore. This evening had given her the closure that she needed to move on. It was time to focus on them, and the family they would create together. He had just smiled and told her that the offer would stand if she decided that was what she wanted, or needed at any point in the future.

Hermione and Theo woke early the next morning. They had planned a winery tour that included lunch. Their friends would arrive in time for dinner, but the morning and afternoon was theirs alone. They spent an enjoyable morning, touring the winery, and sampling the various wines. Then they had moved into a massive wine cellar where a delicious luncheon was set up. After lunch, they had wandered around the grounds and stopped at the winery's shop on the way out to purchase several bottles of wine and some sparkling wine for New Year's Eve.

They still had several hours before their friends were due to arrive. Theo had found out how to access the wizarding area of Brisbane. He asked Hermione if she would like to check it out. He'd heard that it was similar to Diagon Alley, although smaller, and more eclectic. Hermione was excited to get to see a different wizarding culture, so she quickly agreed.

Using the directions that Theo had found, they quickly found themselves in the magical district of Brisbane. They walked past an apothecary, a wand shop, and a magical creatures shop. There were only a few other shops on the street. One immediately caught Hermione's eye. It was a second-hand bookshop. Smiling up at Theo, she nodded toward the bookshop, indicating her desire to go in. He knew that she was searching for one book in particular, but he would never attempt to keep her from a bookshop. Smiling back, he led her toward the entrance.

They entered to the sound of a tinkling bell. A very old witch greeted them and asked if there was anything she could help them find. When Hermione gave her the title of the book that she was seeking, the old witch's eyes grew round, she answered in a low gravely voice, "Young lady, you are in luck, I happen to have a copy of that. It is extremely rare. I only just found it at an estate sale last week. I must warn you, being so rare, it's quite expensive."

Theo replied, "If it's actually the book that my fiancé is looking for, I can assure you that the price won't be an issue. May we see it?"

The witch looked uncertain but agreed. As she walked away to retrieve it. Hermione turned to Theo, "She thinks that because we are young, we won't be able to afford it." He said nothing but nodded in agreement.

When the old witch returned, she was carrying an ancient-looking tomb. Hermione examined it, and nodded at Theo, indicating her approval.

Theo pulled out his charmed money bag, linked to his Gringotts account, and asked, "How much?"

Seeing the bag, associated with only the most exclusive accounts, the witch's eyes grew round. She answered, "It's 150 Galleons, sir."

Hermione's eyebrows rose at the price, she opened her mouth to argue, but Theo waved her off. He simply counted out the money and handed it over. Thanking the witch, they exited the shop.

As soon as they left, Hermione turned to Theo and told him, "I'm pretty sure that she raised the price by 25-50 galleons when she saw your money bag. When I checked with the bookshop on Diagon Alley, they had advised me that if one was found that it would be around 100-125 galleons.

Theo shrugged, "I'm sure she did, but 25 galleons is nothing to me. If she needed the money that badly, I'm happy to give it to her. I would, of course, preferred doing business with someone honest, but you need the book, and we couldn't find it elsewhere."

Hermione let the subject drop. She was eager to get back to the house and begin reading the ancient book. She knew that any information that they didn't already have regarding the ritual would be in here.

When they arrived back at the beach house, there was only a short time before the Portkey would bring their friends. Realizing that she didn't have time to delve into the book, Hermione busied herself setting out glasses for wine and fire whiskey. When everyone else arrived, they would have a pre-dinner drink and find out how Christmas had gone back home. They had made reservations at a local restaurant, but they would have over an hour to kill before they would need to leave.

When the Portkey arrived, Ron and Pansy, both wore slightly strained expressions. Even though they had left England right after breakfast, they eagerly accepted the glasses of wine and fire whiskey that Hermione handed them. "Was it that bad?" she asked.

"It was worse than you can imagine," replied Ron. "Pansy's mum was even less excited about our news than my mum was. We told everyone that they would have to get over it and accept it if they expected us to come around. Of course, that made mum even more upset, and she accused Pansy of trying to take me away from the family. Seriously, best Christmas ever," he said sarcastically.

"How did you and Daphne fare?" Hermione asked Harry.

"It was a nice day, everyone seems happy with us being together. Malfoy was even nice to me all day," said Harry, with a chuckle.

Daphne interjected, "Honestly, I just think my family is happy that I found someone. They were beginning to think that I would never get married. They like Harry though, and they are pleased with our relationship." She glanced at Hermione's hand, "Tell us about your day, and about that rock on your finger."

Three other sets of eyes immediately focused on Hermione's hand. Everyone admired her ring and offered up congratulations to the couple. Ron, being Ron had to comment. He looked at Theo, and said, "There you go, showing us up again."

No one took Ron seriously and had a laugh at his antics. They finished their drinks, and those who had arrived from cold and snowy London went to change into something more suitable for dinner.

Their time in Australia passed quickly, everyone enjoying being able to get away and relax together. They made the most of their time there, visiting a koala sanctuary, going snorkeling, taking a sightseeing cruise, visiting a rainforest, and climbing the famous Story Bridge.

One morning, they all decided to take it easy and relax on the beach all day. Hermione seized the chance to read her new book. With all of their activities, she had only thumbed through a few pages so far. When Ron noticed her lugging the large book down to the beach, he started to laugh, "Let me guess, Hermione, you brought that with you for a bit of light reading."

"HaHa, Ronald. For your information, this book is necessary for the research that I'm doing to break the curse. I have been searching for it, and finally found it in a used bookshop here in Brisbane." At this, Hermione spread out her towel, plopped down in the sand, opened the large volume, and began to read.

They had been lounging in the sand, and playing in the water for a few hours, when Hermione exclaimed, "Oh, no! What else could possibly go wrong?"

Alarmed, the others looked at her in concern until she told them what she had found. "Apparently, the type of bonding ritual that we will need to use, renders all birth control potions, and spells useless. I don't know if it will counteract the muggle pill as well, but I'm guessing it will. This kind of magic overrules everything."

She looked up at everyone. "Um, that's not all. Since procreation was often the goal of these types of bondings, the spell used, will not only negate birth control, it also encourages fertility. There is a very big chance that some, or all of us will end up expecting a baby after the ceremony is complete."

Hermione looked around at her friends after announcing her discovery. She noted the shock on the faces of Ron and Pansy. Resignation, on Daphne's, and what looked like hope, and maybe joy on the faces of Theo, and Harry. Their reactions were not too much different from what she would have expected.

Seeing the look on Theo's face caused a reaction within her. When she had first read the information, she leaned more toward resignation but seeing that Theo very obviously wanted a family with her, changed something. She met his eyes and smiled, hoping to convey that she was ok with this outcome too. Now, they just needed to calm Ron and Pansy.

Ron finally broke the silence. He had gone deathly pale. "I want kids someday, I do, but I wasn't planning to let anyone know that we were married when we first do this. I was planning on us getting engaged, and sometime later, having a wedding. Both of our mothers will have kittens if we don't let them have a wedding! I figured that we could kind of stagger the weddings, and wedding news. That would cause a lot less questions, wouldn't it?"

Hermione nodded, "Ron, you're right. Staggering our weddings would cause a lot less speculation, but now, we don't exactly have that luxury. I would say that some of us could simply marry before 2 May, but we can't do that because in the wizarding world, marriages have to be consummated within 24 hours, or the ministry will deem it null."

Theo, once again the voice of reason spoke up, "If the rest of you move along with your engagements, there is no reason why all of us couldn't get married on the same day. The press would eat it up, I can see the headlines, 'Golden Trio To Wed Death Eater Children in Triple Ceremony."At this, everyone began laughing uncontrollably.

Theo, who wasn't laughing, retorted, "What? I was being serious. I actually think we could pull it off. Pansy, Daphne, and Ron, your mothers would be happy because it would quite literally be the wedding of the century. We could even give an interview saying that we thought a group wedding was appropriate, given how close Harry, Ron, and Hermione are. I think the best story to put out is that mine and Hermione's relationship was the catalyst in the other two relationships and that we are all so happy that we wanted to share the big day. The wedding could be on the Saturday following the bonding. Kingsley can marry us and run interference at the Ministry to prevent it from coming out that we are all already legally married. I'm serious, I really think this is the best course of action."

Hermione looked thoughtful, "You know, it just might work. I don't think there's any other way to have actual weddings that aren't back to back weekends. Honestly, people will see a triple wedding of the Golden Trio as some storybook romance. If we tried to have separate weddings, they would question why they had to be so close together."

Hermione could see the others slowly nodding. They all knew that Theo's idea would work, and it would be the only way to limit the amount of speculation and press that came of their quick courtships and marriages.

Their week of vacation bliss seemed to come to an end too quickly. Soon, it was New Year's Eve, and they were planning to spend the evening together at their rental house. The night was great fun. As midnight approached, they decided to take the sparkling wine that Hermione and Theo had purchased and go out to the beach. Ron and Harry had brought some fireworks from WWW and planned to set them on a timer to go off at midnight. They had found out that there was to be a fireworks display further down the beach, so they could set theirs off without causing suspicion.

As the minutes ticked down into seconds before midnight, Hermione looked around at her group of friends. She had barely known three of them last year at this time, and now they were such an important part of her life. Taking a moment, she reflected on the past year. When all of this started, she was horrified. Now, she looked back on the events that led her to this place and time with immense fondness. She was the happiest that she could ever remember being, and it was all thanks in part to a horrible curse. Theo glanced over at her, "You look deep in thought, what's on your mind?"

She smiled at him lovingly, "Just that despite the craziness of this year, I am the happiest that I've ever been. I never thought that I would feel like this. This level of happiness didn't ever seem possible. I love you so much, and I'm so incredibly thankful that you are part of my life, now, and forever."

"I love you too, I completely understand how you feel. I couldn't agree more."

The countdown started, and at the stroke of midnight, they wrapped their arms around each other and shared a meaningful kiss. They had found their happiness through strange circumstances, but neither cared how they got there. They just appreciated how happy they were together.

When they pulled apart, Theo nudged Hermione and pointed down the beach. Harry was on one knee in front of Daphne, holding out a ring. They couldn't hear what was said, but they saw Daphne joyfully embrace Harry, then hold out her hand for him to place the ring on her finger. As the beautiful fireworks went off around them, they watched their friends get engaged. Hermione glanced around and saw Pansy holding a camera. She was glad that someone was capturing the moment for them.

Once Harry and Daphne pulled apart, they all rushed over to congratulate them, and admire Daphne's ring. Harry laughed, and said, "I thought that the conversation from the other day was going to give away my secret. I brought the ring with me and had planned to propose tonight from the beginning. I almost decided to wait when I found out that Theo had proposed here on Christmas, but I didn't want to wait any longer."

Everyone laughed and cheered, it was the perfect beginning to what was looking to be their best year yet.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

2 January 2005 found the group Portkeying back to Hermione's London flat. That night, Theo and Hermione decided that they needed a restful night in. As they sat together on her sofa, sipping wine that they had brought home with them, Hermione thought about the fact that she could get pregnant on the night of the bonding.

"Theo, I want to talk to you about something."

"What is it, my love?" he asked, setting down his wine, and wrapping his arm around her.

"What we learned the other day, the fact that we may conceive a child the night that we bond. How do you feel about that? Is that what you want? We haven't discussed children at all. I just wanted to make sure that you are okay with the idea."

Theo reached up and turned her chin so that he was gazing into her eyes. "Hermione, yes, I'm fine with that, ecstatic actually. I want to create a family with you. I want us to have brilliant little kids that will grow up to be amazing people. I want to be able to give our children all the love and attention that they deserve. I want to give them a happy childhood, one where they get to be carefree. I want all of that, and I want it with you. If we have a baby immediately, I would be thrilled."

Hermione's eyes filled with happy tears at his confession. She had hoped that this would be his response and expected it to be his response, but she couldn't be sure until she asked. "Oh, Theo, every time I think I can't possibly love you more than I already do, you surprise me and make me fall deeper in love with you. You are amazing."

Theo leaned over and kissed Hermione sensually. He put everything that he was feeling into the kiss. They began to caress each other's bodies in the same slow, sensual manner. Their passion, their love for each other came through in their touch. They slowly undressed and each part that was uncovered was shown the same reverent touch. When they were naked, Theo slid between her folds, keeping the head well away from her wet entrance. He looked deeply into her eyes and moved slowly, mimicking the act of lovemaking. It was intimate and sensual, and it made them both long for the day that they could finally join together as one.

...

Hermione met with Kingsley the following week to inform him of her new discovery. She asked him if he would be available on 7 May to officiate their public wedding ceremony. He agreed and told her, "This is a very good idea. It will reduce the amount of speculation that the six of you will be subjected to. The media will likely go wild when the news gets out, but this will have the added benefit of drawing attention away from the other things that we are doing."

Kingsley sighed before continuing, "While you were away, there was a report in the Prophet, questioning what the blood testing that we did in July was really for. It's Rita of course, and she's saying that if that blood was needed to investigate the fertility problem that we should have some answers by now. She's really starting to dig in. I think that some engagement announcements may be just the thing to draw attention away from that."

Hermione nodded, "I'll speak to the others about being seen in public soon. With two engagements and a new courtship over the holidays, we can give them something to talk about."

When she left the meeting with Kingsley, she sent owls out to her friends. Telling them about the article that was printed while they were gone, she asked them to go public with their relationships. They decided that Harry and Daphne would be seen together first. The news of Harry Potter's engagement was guaranteed to make headlines. Later in the week, Ron and Pansy would go out to show off her new courtship jewelry. Finally, a few days after that, Theo and Hermione would make sure that they were photographed in a way that showed off her engagement ring.

Hermione hoped that by staggering their appearances over a few weeks, attention would be drawn to them, and off of the fertility crisis. They needed this to work. She hoped that by the time courtship and engagement excitement died down, it would be time to announce their wedding plans, and that could carry them through to May.

A few days after Hermione and Theo had been photographed together with her new engagement ring, Draco and Hermione ventured out into Diagon Alley to visit the apothecary shop. They had to purchase some potions ingredients. The rare ingredients had already been gathered, now they needed to procure the ordinary items. Quickly finding what they needed, they exited the shop chatting amicably. Attention elsewhere, neither of them noticed the man waiting in the shadows.

Hermione heard a familiar voice and froze, "Look at the mudblood, thinks she is worthy of being seen with purebloods. I didn't kill you the first time, but I won't fail this time," jeered Dolohov, stepping from the shadows and shooting his famous purple jet of light in her direction.

Draco reacted as quickly as he could. Dropping the ingredients in his hands, and shoving Hermione out of the way. He was a second too late. The purple jet hit her squarely in the chest. When it did, something astounding happened. Hermione began to glow with a shining golden light, and the spell rebounded onto Dolohov. He dropped to the ground instantly as it hit.

"Hermione! Are you okay?" cried a frantic Draco.

A dazed Hermione replied, "Yes, I'm perfectly fine. How did that happen?"

Draco looked perplexed as he responded, "I'm not sure, I've never seen anything like that. We should call for the Aurors."

Hermione nodded and sent her Patronus to Harry. As she finished the incantation, a frantic Theo appeared at her side. "Theo! What are you doing here? How did you know where to find me?"

"I'm not sure. All of a sudden, I had a horrible feeling that something was wrong, and I knew I had to get to you. Something told me to apparate. I did and here I am. What happened?"

Before she could answer, Harry and Ron, along with six other Aurors appeared. "Hermione, Draco, Theo, what happened?" asked Harry.

Hermione took a deep breath and began to tell Harry, Ron, and Theo her tale. The other Aurors moved the crowd away and checked Dolohov. "Draco and I came out of the apothecary, and Dolohov attacked. He used the same spell that he used on me during the battle in the Department of Mysteries during fifth year. The spell hit me. I saw it make contact with my body. When it did, instead of pain, I felt a warm, tingling sensation in where my jewelry touches my skin. I felt it most on my finger, under my engagement ring. When that happened, I saw a golden glow, and the purple light bounced off of me and hit Dolohov."

Everyone exchanged amazed looks. Harry turned to Draco. "Is that what you saw too?"

Draco nodded, "Yes, I've never seen anything like it." Turning to Theo he asked, "You have protective enchantments on all of that jewelry, mate?"

Wide-eyed, Theo nodded, "Yes, but I've never heard of anything like this happening. Usually, those enchantments protect fully from basic spells and lessen the effects of the major spells. Something like Dolohov's signature curse would have still hurt her. It wouldn't have been fatal, but it would have done some damage. We may need to talk to the Goblin who enchanted the jewelry to see if they know what caused this."

Theo turned to Harry with a serious expression on his face, reaching into his pocket to withdraw a folded piece of parchment. Placing the parchment in Harry's hand he said, "I think my father may be behind this. I received this, a few minutes before I got the feeling that Hermione was in trouble."

Harry skimmed the letter, and nodded to Theo, "Thanks, mate. I'll look into this. Take Hermione home and take care of her. I'll let you know what we find." Turning to Hermione and placing a hand on her arm, he pleaded, "Until we figure this out, don't go anywhere alone."

She nodded, "I won't, Harry. I'm not completely daft. However, as you may have noticed, I wasn't exactly alone today."

"I know, but I still worry. Please, just don't go anywhere by yourself. The risk is higher if you are alone."

Theo and Hermione left just as the medics from St. Mungos were arriving to take Dolohov to the hospital. Draco gathered up the dropped sacks of potion ingredients and followed them down the street. Draco came up beside Theo and said in an undertone, "If your father is behind this, the two of you need to be careful. They captured most of the worst death eaters, but there are still some at large. Who knows who will come after you next. I would also suggest that you pay a visit to the Goblins in the shop where you purchased that jewelry. If Hermione is up to it, you should do it now. They may be able to give you some answers."

Theo and Hermione agreed. They said goodbye to Draco, and Theo led the way over to the Goblin's jewelry shop. As they entered, they were greeted by the human shop keeper. "Good morning. We need to speak with Silverspike. Please offer our apologies for arriving without an appointment. Unfortunately, an urgent situation requiring his attention has come up." The shopkeeper nodded and walked into the backroom to consult with the goblin.

He returned a few minutes later. "Silverspike will consent to speak with you. He requires a donation to his coffers for the inconvenience."

Theo rolled his eyes, but took out his money bag and pulled out a handful of galleons. "Of course, that's no problem."

The shopkeeper took the proffered coins and led Theo and Hermione back to see Silverspike. They exchanged the required greetings and explained the events of the morning to the Goblin. Silverspike looked thoughtful, finally speaking, "The protective enchantments would have only reacted that way in the case of strong, pure love. The kind of love that hasn't been heard of in centuries. This type of protection is only possible when the individuals involved are true soulmates. That kind of love is strong and powerful." Looking at Hermione, he said, "As long as you wear these symbols of your mate's love, no one can harm you. You will be fully protected because his love shields you."

Hermione nodded and asked, "Will he be protected equally as long as he wears the watch that I gave to him?"

The goblin examined the watch that Theo wore. "Yes, he is shielded fully as well. Your love offers him the same protection that his offers you," His eyes bore into theirs as if searching their minds for answers, his scrutiny causing them both discomfort. "This is a special bond. I haven't met a witch and wizard with this kind of bond in my lifetime."

They thanked the Goblin and the shopkeeper as they exited the shop, a little dazed by what they had learned. Slowly, they walked away, arms wrapped around each other, each feeling the intensity of their love.

The next day, Kingsley called Theo, Harry, and Hermione in for a meeting regarding the attack. Dolohov had been taken to the St. Mungos, where he later died. Ironically, it was his signature curse that killed him.

Kingsley, addressed the group, "Here's what we've learned regarding your father, Theo. Thoros was very recently given a few new privileges for good behavior. He was granted both newspaper access and allowed a limited amount of correspondence. We have informed him that due to that threatening letter that he sent to you and the attempt on Hermione's life, those privileges are revoked. Unfortunately, I'm afraid the damage has been done." Turning to Hermione, and sighing he continued, "Hermione, you will have to be careful. We don't know how many others will respond to the contract that Thoros must have put on your life."

Hermione assured him that she would be cautious. She hoped that word would get out about what happened to Dolohov and others would leave her alone, but she knew that was wishful thinking.

Kingsley wanted to know about what Theo and Hermione had learned from the Goblin jeweler. He was intrigued by what they had been told. Looking thoughtful, he mused,"True soulmates are rare. To have three sets in a lifetime, as we do now is unheard of."

Harry got a strange expression on his face, "You know, Dumbledore always told me that the power that Voldemort didn't understand was love, and that love would defeat him in the end. I wonder if that is why love and the bonding of soulmates is what it's going to take to break this curse. He would have thought the curse unbreakable. He saw love as a weakness, not a strength."

Hermione beamed at Harry, "I'm certain that you are right, Harry, and because of that, I'm sure we will break this curse. Voldemort won't win. We have the power of love on our side. Something that he never knew and didn't understand."

...

A few weeks later, Hermione hosted a girl's night at her flat with Pansy and Daphne to discuss wedding plans. Knowing that Mrs. Weasley, Mrs. Parkinson, and Mrs. Greengrass would all want to host the wedding, they decided to go with a neutral location for the ceremony. They determined that a hotel ballroom or public garden would be the best. Hopefully, that would prevent some issues with the mothers.

That finished, they began discussing if they would literally have a triple ceremony, or if they would have three separate ceremonies, one after the other. In the end, they decided to keep it as simple as possible and went with a single ceremony with no attendants for anyone. Planning a wedding of this magnitude was complicated enough without adding on lots of details. They all had too many other things to do between now and May to worry about wedding planning.

Next, they discussed flowers. Again, they decided to keep it simple. All of the arrangements and bouquets would be done in shades of pink. They decided that the flowers would be peonies, roses, and stargazer lilies. The look would be classic and beautiful.

Daphne and Pansy volunteered to visit the local wizarding hotels to see which one could accommodate a large event on their chosen date. They would tell them that they were planning a charity fundraiser. Since this was a perfectly plausible explanation they didn't have to worry about any questions. They would check into catering options in a similar fashion. Once they all went public with their plans, they would inform the venue of the changes.

They made plans to get a Portkey to Paris one weekend soon to purchase wedding gowns. None of them were sure when they would announce their wedding plans, so it was best to go elsewhere to avoid being recognized. Muggle Paris would be perfect.

As they finalized plans, Hermione noticed that Pansy was looking subdued and a little sad. "Pansy, what's wrong"? she asked.

Pansy sighed, "It just feels odd to be planning a wedding when I'm not engaged yet. I know that there's nothing normal about this scenario, but I've always dreamed about what my wedding would be like, and planning before I was engaged was never part of that plan. That's one reason why I haven't offered to design our wedding gowns. I'd always thought that I would design my own gown, but I just can't bring myself to even attempt it. I honestly don't have time to design and make all of our dresses, but if I did, I don't think I would be able to find the motivation to do it. I just feel so... ugh..." she trailed off and the others looked at her with concern.

Daphne and Hermione immediately enveloped their friend in a tight hug. Hermione assured Pansy, "I'm sure that Ron will propose soon. If I know him, he's freaking out a bit due to the pressure. It's not because he doesn't want to marry you. I know he loves you very much, and he does want to marry you. He just doesn't like to be told what to do. I'm sure that he also wants the proposal to seem real, and not forced because you have to get married now. My guess is that he's waiting for a way to feel like he can do it properly."

Pansy gave her a watery smile and nodded. She still didn't look totally convinced. Hermione decided that she would have to talk to Ron soon. He needed a kick in the arse to get him going.

That night, as she and Theo lay in bed, Hermione brought up what was upsetting Pansy, and what she suspected to be the hold up for Ron. After discussing the issue for a while, they came up with a plan. Hermione just needed to talk to Ron.

The next day, Hermione owled Ron and Harry, asking them to meet her for lunch at a muggle café that they frequented. They could have a conversation there without being worried that what they said would end up in the Prophet.

Hermione entered the small café. Seeing that Harry and Ron had already gotten a table, she walked up and greeted them both. Harry smiled at her and said, "Hope you don't mind, we ordered for you. The special is fish and chips today."

She smiled back at him, "That sounds perfect."

Just then, the waitress brought out their food. They thanked her and started to eat. Hermione waited until Ron had finished half of his food before bringing up the subject of Pansy. She told him about their wedding planning session, and how sad Pansy had been. Finally, she told him, "We have appointments with several dress shops in Paris on 5 February. It would be good if you proposed before then. It would make her feel much better about all of this."

"Bloody hell, Hermione, that's less than a month from now. I wanted it to be special, now I feel pressured to just do it because we have to have a wedding. Everything has to be set by this bloody schedule that I wish we didn't need to follow. I do love her and I want to marry her. I just can't think of a good way to ask her that won't just seem like I'm doing it because I have to, instead of because I want to."

"Ron, calm down. That's why I brought you here today. I have a plan."


	14. Chapter 14

Note:

Thanks for the reviews! I love reading all of them. I'm excited about all the new follows and favorites. I never dreamed that this story would get so much support! I truly appreciate everyone who is reading this story. I hope you continue to enjoy it!

I don't own the characters.

Grammarly was my Beta, any mistakes are my own.

...

Chapter 14

Hermione, Pansy, and Daphne had a Portkey scheduled to take them to Paris on 5 February. They booked a suite at a posh hotel with a view of the Eiffel Tower. They arrived at the hotel at 5:00 that Friday with plans to check-in, leave their luggage in the room, and go out for a nice dinner.

As they entered the room, they sat their luggage down and looked around the suite. Hermione pointed, "Oh, look I bet that's the balcony. We should go out and check the view." Making sure that Pansy was in front, she ushered them to the doors leading to the balcony.

Pansy opened the door, expecting an empty balcony, but found Ron standing there. She gasped in shock and clutched her chest. "Ron, you startled me! What are you doing here?"

Ron walked forward and took her by the hand. He led her over to the rail where they would have the best view. Turning to face her, he said, "Pansy, you and I didn't have the easiest start. I was an insufferable, pigheaded git. I'm so thankful that I finally gave you a chance and got to know the real you. I'm not the best with words, but I want you to know that I've fallen in love with you and I can't imagine my life without you."

He paused and dropped to one knee pulling a small velvet box from his pocket. Opening the box, he gazed into her stunned eyes, and asked, "Will you marry me?"

Tears shining in her eyes, Pansy smiled down at him, "Took you long enough."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes, it's a yes! I love you, you big prat, of course, I'll marry you."

They embraced, and when they drew away, there was laughter and cheers coming from the doorway. Glancing back, Pansy saw not only Daphne and Hermione but Harry and Theo too. With an accusatory look at Hermione, she questioned, "What are all of you doing here? How long has this been planned?"

Hermione just laughed, "Ron may have needed just a little help with his plan. He wanted the proposal to be special. We just helped make that happen."

The rest of the weekend was a success. The men joined them for dinner and stayed the night. They left the next morning after breakfast as the ladies headed out for their bridal boutique appointments.

The women returned to London that Sunday, ecstatic that their dress shopping expedition had been successful. They had all found lovely dresses. Pansy was delighted that Ron had proposed before she had to shop for her wedding dress. Having the ring on her hand when she found her dress had made everything feel right.

With all of the couples formally engaged, a venue, and dresses chosen, it was time to tell the families their plans. Molly, as expected, had trouble letting go of her 'ickle Ronniekins.' She cried, and asked him over and over if Pansy was truly the one for him. This was so reminiscent of the fiasco with Bill and Fleur that no one really paid much attention to her. They knew that she would come around in the end.

Daphne and Pansy's mothers weren't upset by their choice of husbands, but they were upset that they hadn't been included in the planning. Both women attempted to soothe their mothers by saying that they could assist with the rest of the planning, but what their mums were most upset about was missing out on the dress shopping. Daphne and Pansy felt bad that they hadn't considered that their mums would want to go with them, but Hermione was secretly glad that it had gone the way it did. She wouldn't have enjoyed shopping for her dress as much if it would have become a mother/daughter occasion.

Once the families were informed, the couples began to tell their friends. Most of them took it well, but a few did question the speed of the relationships. After spending a little time around the couples, they realized how happy they all were and most of the questions stopped.

Parents and friends informed it was time to let the public know. They also decided that they would agree to an interview soon. Requests for interviews had been steadily coming in since the first time Hermione and Theo were spotted together back in the summer.

Deciding that Valentine's Day would be a good time to be seen in public and show off engagement rings, they made reservations at the nicest restaurant in Diagon Alley and let the nosy patrons do the rest. They had a lovely time together, and as expected they were surrounded by reporters and cameras as they exited the restaurant. It was fun trying to guess what the headline would say the next day.

The next morning, Hermione and Theo decided to have a bit of a lie-in, and start work a little late. Hermione would soon be busy brewing the potions needed for the ritual and during certain stages, it would have to be constantly monitored. They had spent the morning lazily exploring each other's bodies and were relaxing over a delicious breakfast in bed. Jaycee popped in, holding the morning Prophet. She held it out to Theo and quietly popped away again. Theo opened it and immediately burst into laughter. "Well, that one I got almost word for word." The headline on the front page read, 'Golden Trio to Wed Children of Death Eaters.' It was followed by an article detailing what was known about their relationships, and accompanied by pictures of the group together, and each couple.

"Well, it's safe to say that we are doing a good job of diverting attention away from the fertility crisis. Kinglsey should be happy with that. I think that we should wait a month and then give an interview releasing the basic details about our wedding plans," said Hermione, looking at Theo.

Theo smiled at her and brushed her hair away from her face. "That sounds good to me. I've been meaning to ask you, where do you want to live once we're married? We haven't exactly been living apart in months, but we alternate homes instead of just picking one."

Hermione contemplated this, "I haven't really given it much thought. I guess I thought that I would just move in here. It's bigger, and we do eventually want children. Is that okay with you though? You don't have the best memories of growing up here. If you prefer, we can always purchase something new, together."

Theo reached for her hand, "No, this place doesn't have the best memories, but they've gotten much better since you've been here with me. I like the idea of bringing joy into this place. Raising our family here, and making happy memories will make this place feel like a home."

"I do think that we should redecorate. I haven't done much with it since my father went to Azkaban. I love the warm, homey feel of your flat. You can make whatever changes that you would like, to make this place feel more like home."

...

After much discussion, it was decided that Malfoy Manor was the most secure location to brew the potions. They needed somewhere that was private and could be easily accessed 24 hours a day. Draco had a large potions lab inside the manor so when he offered for them to brew there, Hermione and Kinglsey agreed that it would be the best place.

Hermione and Draco began brewing the potion at midnight on the night of the full moon. At midnight on the next full moon, they would need to add Daphne's blood. Thankfully, this first stage of brewing didn't require much attention. They would have ingredients to add daily, but the stirring was minimal.

Hermione was being as safe as possible. Once they agreed that Hermione was to move into Nott Manor after the wedding, Theo had insisted that she go ahead and move in since she was in danger. Due to the blood wards, it was much more secure than her flat in muggle London. Hermione decided that since she was planning to move after they were married she may as well go ahead and let go of her flat. So, she packed everything and brought it to Nott Manor. As soon as she was settled into her new home, Hermione began to slowly make changes to make the manor homier. Soon, it looked and felt like home. Theo agreed that he also felt more content. However, he wasn't sure if that was due to the changes, or simply Hermione's constant presence.

Hermione had been using the Floo to get from Nott Manor to go to the Ministry or Malfoy Manor. She had been going to lunch with either Theo or with Ron and Harry. They always stuck to muggle London on these lunch outings. One day, almost 6 weeks after the attack in Diagon Alley, Hermione exited the Ministry accompanied by Ron and Harry. As they stepped out onto the street, and into muggle London, a green jet of light accompanied by the dreaded, "Avada Kadavra," came from the shadows. The jet of light hit Hermione's shoulder. Ron and Harry cried out in horror. They watched, in shock as Hermione emitted a golden glow, and the green light reversed course and hit the wizard who had cast the spell. Rastaban Lestrange lay dead on the sidewalk.

Ron and Harry jumped into action. First making sure that Hermione was safe. After ensuring her safety, Harry sent a Patronus to Kingsley while Ron cast disillusionment and muggle repelling charms, and checked to make sure that Lestrange was really dead.

Like in the Alley, Theo appeared at Hermione's side. He took in the scene and grabbed her crushing her against his body, asking her over an over if she was really okay, and kissed her thoroughly when she assured him that she was fine.

Kingsley arrived and was informed of the situation. His eyes grew round. "There is no protective spell or charm on record that will protect you from a direct hit with an Avada. Hermione, you are very lucky to be alive this time. The magic between soulmates is something that I know very little about. I'm not sure that there is even any research available for us to learn more."

He looked at Lestrange. "Rastaban Lestrange was declared dead after the battle of Hogwarts. The person who actually died must have been someone that was polyjuiced to look like him. We will likely never know who died in his place that day. I wonder if there are others at large that we thought dead. Harry, I need you to launch an investigation into this."

Harry agreed and told Kingsley that he would put together an investigative team immediately. He hoped that there weren't others alive that they thought to be dead.

...

After the second attack on Hermione, Theo went to see his father at Azkaban. He hadn't seen him since the trial nearly 7 years before. He hadn't ever intended to see him again, but he would do anything to keep his love safe.

Theo let the others know where he was going. Hermione offered to go with him, but he didn't want her to be subjected to the abuse that his father would likely direct at her. When Harry offered to go, Theo initially turned him down as well. However, Harry pointed out that the guards were more likely to move things along quickly, and not purposely delay him, if Harry was there. Realizing that this was true, Theo agreed.

When Harry and Theo arrived at Azkaban, they were met by a group of guards. The guards quickly recognized Harry and asked who they needed to see. Within minutes, they were being led to a private meeting area. The room had chairs that were situated facing a row of metal bars. The same kinds of bars that were found on the cell doors in the prison. Harry and Theo were told to sit, and Thoros was soon led in on the other side of the bars. Harry quietly told Theo that he would wait by the door to allow him some privacy.

Theo looked up and faced his father for the first time since he testified against him in his trial. "Son, to what do I owe this pleasure?" smirked Thoros.

Theo wasn't there for pleasantries, "Call off your men. I know that you've put a contract out on Hermione's life. Call it off."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about son. Though, I can't imagine why you're bothered with what happens to the mudblood. I can't believe that you're considering sullying the family line like that. Nott's have been pure for centuries."

"I'm going to explain this in simple terms. Hermione is going to be my wife. I love her. Your plans to have her killed have failed. Both of the men that were stupid enough to come after her are dead. Anyone you send will have the same fate." Noting the look of confusion on his father's face," Theo laughed. "Ah, I see that you haven't heard. Both Dolohov and Rastaban Lestrange are dead. Both had their curses rebound upon them when they attacked Hermione. The same fate awaits anyone who tries to come after her."

Thoros looked enraged, "The spells rebound! How is that possible? What magic will shield and rebound those spells? It's not possible."

"Oh father, haven't you ever heard of a little thing called soulmate protection? As long as she wears my ring, she's protected by my love. She's untouchable. So, I will repeat myself one more time. Call off your dogs. If you don't, they will fail again and again. You won't touch her."

"Soul... soulmate," sputtered Thoros. "What do you mean soulmate protection?"

"I mean, father, Hermione is my soulmate. The real deal. The magic that protects her, is a magic that is so pure that it cannot be penetrated by even the Avada."

"But, true soulmates, that's just a myth. There haven't been any soulmates in..."

"Centuries," finished Theo. "That's exactly what the Goblin who explained what happened said to us."

With that Theo rose and signaled to the guards that he was ready to leave. He left his father sitting there looking dumfounded.

After the visit to Azkaban, it was quiet for a few weeks. Hermione and Draco were making progress with the potions, Daphne and Pansy along with their mothers and Molly were deep into wedding planning, and there had been no more attacks.

The group celebrated Ron's birthday with a party thrown by Molly at the Burrow. They had a wonderful time. Molly was beginning to come around to the idea of the six of them being married to each other. She was still upset that she wasn't able to host at the Burrow, but the idea of more grandchildren and surrogate grandchildren was going a long way toward changing her mind.

The day had been full of laughter, good food, and great friends. They had ended it with a game of quidditch. Hermione, joined by Daphne, and Pansy had chosen to watch instead of participating in the game.

After Ron's birthday, wedding planning, as well as potions brewing, was in full swing. Hermione told Pansy and Daphne that she didn't care what they chose for the wedding as long as nothing was over the top frilly or tacky. She informed them that she trusted them to make the decisions. She didn't have time to worry about all of the details. However, she was told that she and Theo would have to meet everyone at the bakery to choose their own wedding cake. Pansy and Daphne were adamant that no one else would choose this for them.

So, after work on 9 March, Theo and Hermione had an appointment with the bakeshop. They spent a pleasurable hour tasting different varieties of cakes, fillings, and frostings. They agreed that they liked the vanilla cake with peach filling and vanilla frosting the best. Then it was time to choose what the cake would look like. Theo deferred to Hermione on this, and she picked out a simple, 3 tiered round cake topped with pink roses. It was simple and elegant.

Pleased with their decision, they exited the shop chatting happily. Suddenly, they were surrounded by a group of four men that neither of them had seen before. It all happened very quickly. Two of them shot stunning spells at Theo while the other two attempted to grab Hermione. All four men dropped at once, and Theo and Hermione were left standing. The two men who had tried to stun Theo were on the ground, stunned. The two who had grabbed Hermione were lying on the ground, writhing in pain, screaming as if they were being tortured.

Bystanders saw what happened this time and called for the Aurors. Thankfully, it was Harry and Ron who showed up first. Harry shook his head, "Again? You would think that they would learn from the mistakes of others. What happened to those two?" He pointed to the men who were clearly in pain."

Hermione gave Harry a meaningful look. "I think they have learned. I think they were warned that they couldn't send spells at me. Those two," she pointed at the stunned men, "tried to stun Theo. While those two," she pointed at the others, "tried to grab me. I think they were going to try to kidnap me and remove my jewelry so they could harm me."

"What did you do to them?" asked Harry.

"Nothing. When they touched me, they fell to the ground immediately, screaming in pain. I'm guessing that touching me with ill intent causes that."

Ron returned to the group at that moment. Harry turned to him. "What did the witnesses see?"

Ron smirked, "They saw the men attack Theo and Hermione. They are under the impression that Hermione and Theo spotted them and got up shields and sent out their own spells. I didn't correct them. The last thing we need is for the media to get wind of this soulmate thing."

When Harry renervated the stunned men, Theo asked to say something to them before they were taken away. Harry nodded to him. Theo leaned down and said, "When you make it to Azkaban, I need you to give a message to my father. Tell him that I told him to call this off and that anyone else who comes after Hermione will face the same fate. The two of you got off easy. Look at your friends, and the other two that came after her are dead. Spread the word."

...

There hadn't been anymore attempts to harm, kill, or kidnap Hermione since the failed kidnapping attempt. The two who had attempted to grab Hermione had been taken to St. Mungos after the attack. The healers hadn't been able to determine what was causing their very obvious pain. Kingsley had been forced to make up an explanation for what had happened to them. He told the healers that it had come to his attention that they were under the influence of an unknown illicit drug that reacted badly when they had been hit with stunning spells. The healers, hearing this had done further testing to attempt to determine what drug they had been exposed to. Not finding anything, they attempted to lessen the pain of the wizards. However, when the effects had finally worn off many hours later, the criminals had been left in a state that would force them to live out the remainder of their lives in the Janus Thickey Ward.

...

It was finally the week before the full moon. Everyone was together at Nott Manor discussing the plans for the ceremony required to add Daphne's blood to the potion. Her blood would have to be drawn from her left palm with a ceremonial athame. The ceremony called for a circle of seven witches and wizards to surround the virgin and say an incantation three times. As the third time was complete, the blood was to be drawn and dripped into the potion. They had to time it perfectly. The blood needed to be added precisely at midnight. They practiced the timing several times, figuring out exactly how long they needed.

At half-past 11 on the evening of the full moon the group, including Kingsley arrived at Malfoy Manor. Draco met them and led them down to the potions lab. He explained that Astoria was already asleep for the evening and he had told her that he was staying up to do some work. So they didn't have to worry about being interrupted.

At precisely three minutes until midnight, the group formed a circle around Daphne who was holding the athame and standing over the bubbling cauldron. They began the incantation, once, twice, thrice, they chanted it. As the last word was spoken, Daphne sliced her palm and dripped exactly three drops of blood into the cauldron. The potion sizzled and immediately turned the clear blue shade of the Mediterranean Sea. Draco and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, they had been successful.

Their relief was short-lived, however, when a stricken voice called from the doorway, "What is going on here?" I was Astoria. "Draco, what have you gotten yourself into? This looks like dark magic, blood magic. Please tell me that you aren't doing anything illegal." Looking around, she took in the other faces in the room. Her eyes grew round with shock. "Will someone please explain what this is?"

Draco led the group back upstairs to the sitting room. He poured a glass of brandy for Astoria and offered refreshments to everyone else. Once they all had their drinks, they took the time to fill Astoria in on the whole story. They started with Hermione's discovery and finished with what they had done that evening. They watched as several emotions crossed her features. She was shocked and disbelieving at first, and finally, she began to look hopeful.

Astoria looked around the room, eyes settling on her husband, "This is why we haven't been able to have a baby. If you are all successful in lifting the curse, will we be able to conceive then?"

It was Hermione who answered, saying quietly, "That is what we are all hoping for. That's why we all agreed to do this. We want for you and others like you to be able to have the babies that you've been wishing for."

Astoria began to cry, and pleaded, "Please, anything that I can do to assist you, please let me know. I will do anything." The last part coming out in a whisper, but the whole room heard her clearly.

Kingsley smiled at her, "Mrs. Malfoy, the only thing that we need from you at this point is the continued use of your home and your agreement that you will tell no one what we are doing. We can't risk this getting out. There are many who would support our cause, but we can't risk having even a few who may oppose what we are doing and try to stop us. This is far too important."

Astoria nodded, "Of course, Minister. You have my word, and you are all welcome here anytime, for any reason."


	15. Chapter 15

Note:

As usual, the characters do not belong to me.

Thank you for the kind reviews. I appreciate all of them. Your words of support have made writing my first story an amazing experience. I hope to continue to grow as an author with each new story. This story is wrapping up soon. Chapter 16 will be the main event, the bonding ceremony!

...

Chapter 15

The group decided that they needed to make a trial run to Dinas Emrys, they planned to go on 1 April, precisely one month before they would return. It was necessary to become familiar with the area to be able to apparate there to save precious time on the day of the ceremony. They also needed to establish a reason for being in the area. Someone was sure to notice their presence and they wanted to make sure that they weren't questioned.

They arranged for a Portkey to the Village of Beddgelert in Wales. Hermione booked rooms at a lovely muggle Bed and Breakfast there. They decided that muggle accommodations were the best for them because their group was sure to be recognized, and remembered if they stayed in the magical world. Three war heroes, a well known former death eater, and the Minister for Magic would draw unwanted attention and without a doubt bring media involvement and more speculation.

Their Portkey deposited them in a copse of trees on a lush mountainside. Looking around, they saw the beautiful Sygun Fawr, the Bed and Breakfast where they had reservations. It was only a short walk, so they set off at a brisk pace, taking in their surroundings as they approached. It was a lovely, quaint hotel that was nestled right into the mountainside. It truly was a beautiful place, Hermione regretted that they weren't here for a real holiday.

They decided that it was best to get checked in and settle into their rooms before heading out again. When they checked in, they put out the story that they were scientists who were studying the habits of the nocturnal bird, the Nightjar. It was the perfect cover story. The Nightjar arrived in Wales in April and spent the summer months in the forest there. Hermione had researched the local flora and fauna to come up with a plausible explanation for their presence in the area. A nocturnal bird that was only in the area during the time that they needed to be there had been perfect. She knew the muggles would wonder if they left in the afternoon and didn't return until morning. They decided to explain that they were gathering data and wanted to see the birds in early April, and again in May. This would give them a reason for returning if they were remembered.

The delightful woman at the front desk, upon learning that they would be going on an evening hike, offered to have a picnic dinner prepared for them. They had packed some food for this purpose, but accepted the offer with thanks, assuming that the food at the B&B would be of better quality than what they brought along.

The hike to Dinas Emrys was beautiful, and not terribly difficult. It took them the better part of two hours to reach the summit. When they arrived, Kingsley explained that there was an entrance to the cavern that wasn't visible to muggles. As they entered, Hermione drew in a deep breath. She had heard others speak of places that held old magic. It was often said, that you were able to feel it, and almost smell it. This was her first time experiencing the phenomenon but she certainly understood what they were talking about now that she'd come to this place.

Entering into the cavern, they waited for their eyes to adjust to the dim light within before taking in their surroundings. The main room was large with rough stone walls that seemed to sparkle. In the center of this chamber was the pool. Even in the dim light, it appeared to be crystal clear with a rocky bottom. Off to the side, they saw an opening in the rock which could only be the inner chamber. The bonding ceremonies would take place here, in the main room. The consummation and bonding rituals would take place in the inner chamber.

Stepping through the opening in the rocks and entering the smaller chamber, they could see that it was only large enough to contain the rune circle that they would create for the rituals. Knowing what would take place in this room sent a shiver down Hermione's spine.

Looking around, she realized that it was somewhat exposed to the outer room. "Will we be able to ward the entrance so that no one in the other room will be able to see or hear what is happening in here?"

Kingsley nodded and gave her a small smile, "Yes, that won't be a problem. Warding the entrance won't have any negative effects on the rituals. The rune circle will protect you from outside interference."

Kingsley asked Hermione to walk everyone through the ceremony, and rituals. Agreeing, she led them through the steps explaining the process in detail from the moment they arrived, until they completed the final ritual at sunrise. She explained that the timing was essential and more than anything, they needed to make sure that they stuck to the schedule. Finally, she told them that the couples entering the ritual chamber would need to set alarms on their wands to make sure that they left enough time for all of the rituals to be performed properly.

Once everyone understood what was expected, the group left the cavern to find a picnic spot outside near the trail. Finding the perfect spot, they sat down to enjoy their delicious dinner. They opened the picnic basket to find cold fried chicken, pasta salad, sandwiches, fresh fruit, and cookies. As they ate, Hermione pulled out a muggle digital camera. She had spotted a few Nightjars nearby and wanted something to show if anyone back at the hotel were to ask.

The others were curious about the camera. She showed them how it worked and how you could view the photo right on the screen as soon as the picture was taken. They all expressed displeasure that their wizarding cameras didn't have that feature.

Ron looked thoughtful, "You know, I bet George could figure out how to make a wizarding camera work like that. You should show that to him, Mione. I bet he would try."

The others agreed with Ron, which lead to a discussion of some of the other ingenious products that George had created. Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes had grown into so much more than just a joke shop.

Knowing that they couldn't return to the B&B until after dawn, Hermione had come prepared. She smirked at the group as she drew a tent out of the beaded bag that she had stashed in her backpack. With a flourish of her wand, the new and very large wizarding tent was set up and ready for them. It had five bedrooms so each of the couples plus Kinglsey would have some privacy for sleep.

Hermione hadn't told anyone that she planned to bring a tent. The looks of appreciation on their faces let her know that they were all thrilled that she had done so. She showed everyone where the bedrooms and bathrooms were located and suggested that they get some sleep, explaining that they should set alarms for 6 so that they could get up and return to the B&B at the time they would be expected.

The next morning, they packed up the tent and apparated back to the copse of trees where the Portkey had dropped them the previous day. Entering the B&B, they were assaulted by the delicious scents of a home-cooked breakfast. They decided on the spot that they would have breakfast before quickly showering and departing in time for their return Portkey.

Upon entering the dining room, they were asked how their evening went. Thankful that Hermione had planned for this, they showed the hostess the photos and told her that they'd had a successful evening.

...

Returning to England, they had less than a month to finish up the final details. Hermione, armed with a list of the things left to purchase, asked Theo to accompany her to the Apothecary in Diagon Alley. They needed to purchase herbs and oils for bathing and cleansing the ritual room. She had also placed an order for the berry that was required for the potion. They quickly purchased what they needed and headed for home. There hadn't been anymore attempted attacks on Hermione, but Theo didn't like to linger in public with her too long. He wasn't taking any chances.

After Theo and Hermione's shopping trip was complete, all they needed was the ceremonial robes that everyone would wear. Pansy had been tasked with making them- silk for the women, and linen for the men. Once these were ready, and the potion complete, all they would need to do was wait for 1 May to arrive.

...

Hermione was relaxing at Nott Manor one evening, waiting for Theo to return home. He'd had a meeting in France that afternoon but decided that he didn't want to spend the night, preferring to come home to Hermione. Hearing the floo activate, Hermione rose, thinking that Theo was home earlier than expected. However, it wasn't Theo who stepped out of the fireplace, but Astoria.

"Astoria, hi! Come in, have a seat."

"I apologize for coming by unexpectedly, I know it's rude, but I found something that I think you would like to see."

Interest peaked, Hermione led the way into the sitting room. Once Astoria was comfortable, Hermione quietly called for Jaycee and asked if the little elf would bring them some tea. Delighted to help, Jaycee popped away to make the tea for the ladies.

As soon as tea was served, Hermione waited for Astoria to tell her what she'd found. She didn't have to wait long. Soon Astoria began to speak, "I was going through some things that my mother gave me before Draco and I married. I thought that there might be something that Daphne would like to have. I found this," she said, producing a small, bound leather book from her pocket and passing it to Hermione. "It's a journal from an ancestor who was bonded to her soulmate. It's hundreds of years old, but I thought that you may find some of the information useful."

Hermione's eyes widened immediately, she stared reverently at the journal in her hands, "Astoria," she gasped, "I can't believe that you have this, I've searched for information on soul bonded couples and haven't found anything. To have this, to have an actual, personal account of a what happens when soulmates bond... this is priceless. Thank you so much for bringing this to me. I will treat it with the utmost care and respect and return it to you as soon as I'm finished."

Astoria smiled, "Keep it as long as you need. It's important for you to know what to expect when you bond."

Astoria didn't stay long, finishing her tea and quickly saying goodnight, knowing that Hermione was eager to delve into the old volume. As soon as she left, Hermione curled up on the sofa and began to read. She was quickly drawn in, entranced by the wealth of information she'd been presented.

Theo found her like that a few hours later. Laughing quietly to himself when he saw that she was so focused on her reading that she didn't notice his arrival. He stood there watching her for several minutes before he finally spoke, startling her and making her jump, her body actually leaving the sofa.

"Theo!" she breathed, grabbing at her chest, "You scared me! I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come in."

Laughing, Theo responded, "It's okay love, I'm sorry I startled you."

Rising to kiss him hello, Hermione explained, "Astoria brought me a journal written by one of her ancestors. It's a first-hand account of a soul bonded couple. It's fascinating. There are some things that could make life interesting for us if bonds are the same for every soul mated pair."

Raising his eyebrows, Theo looked at her expectantly, waiting for an explanation. Hermione continued, "This particular couple could read the other's emotions when they were in close proximity. Since nothing is really known about what happens when soul mates bond, we don't know if we will experience that too, or if we will have other effects from the bond. We don't know if it will be the same for all of us, or different for each couple."

Theo understood that Hermione was a little panicked because she didn't feel comfortable when she didn't know something. Her anxiety became especially bad when the something couldn't be learned from a book. Wanting to comfort her, he simply pulled her into his arms, and held her close, murmuring, "We'll take it as it comes, love. We can get through whatever may be together. There is no use in worrying yourself over something that may not happen."

Hermione took a few deep, calming breaths. She hated when she got worked up about things like this, but loved that Theo knew her well enough to know exactly what she needed. Snuggling in, drawing comfort from his embrace, she drifted off to sleep.

...

Finally, the potion was complete. Hermione and Draco were relieved that everything had gone to plan. The potion was the correct color and consistency. Half would be used for the paint, and half would be used during the final ritual. Dividing it, they added the juice from the berries that Hermione had procured and the potion immediately turned the rich, red color as described. Bottling it, they put it under a stasis charm with protective and cushioning charms on the bottles to prevent them from breaking or leaking.

They were finally ready. After what had been a crazy roller coaster of a year, in just a few days, it would be time to see if they could successfully break the curse.

...

Hermione and Theo lay curled together in their bed early in the morning on 1 May discussing what would happen that very night. Theo looked over at Hermione, his features soft with love, "Are you nervous?"

Hermione smiled lovingly at him, and sighed, "I'm not nervous about what is to happen between us. I'm thrilled that you will soon be my husband. What I'm nervous about is the ritual going smoothly, and if what we are doing will break the curse. I know that the prophecy said that we can succeed, but until we're sure that it did work, I will be anxious."

Theo nodded, understanding perfectly how she was feeling. He took her hand and kissed her palm. "I'm positive that you have worked out the right steps. I have faith in your abilities. You researched this for almost a full year. This will work."

She leaned over and gave him a grateful kiss. "Thank you for believing in me. I love you."

"I love you too. I do have one request for this evening."

She cocked her head to the side and implored, with her eyes, him to ask the question.

"I want you to remove your glamours when we consummate our bond. I want to see you, all of you when we take that step. I don't want you to go into this feeling like you need to hide anything from me."

Hermione looked down at her hands which were now nervously rubbing patterns over the coverlet, unsure how she felt about what he was asking. Theo reached over and gently lifted her chin so that she would meet his eyes.

"Please?"

With that one small word, spoken with kindness and love, she relented. Looking into his brilliant blue eyes, she nodded, "Okay, I will remove the glamour, but only once we are alone in the ritual room. I don't fancy having my scars on display to the others."

He flashed her a bright smile, pleased with the compromise.


	16. Chapter 16

Notes:

As always, thank you for the support. I have been overwhelmed by the success of this story. I appreciate all of you.

This is it, we have arrived at the bonding ceremony. I hope you enjoy!

The characters, of course, do not belong to me. I just enjoy creating new stories for them.

...

Chapter 16

Their Portkey deposited them in the same copse of trees as before. The mood was pensive as they walked toward the Bed and Breakfast. Everyone contemplating what was to occur that night. Hermione glanced over her shoulder and saw Draco and Astoria hanging back away from the group, deep in whispered conversation. Her heart broke as she took in the expression on Astoria's beautiful face. It was a mixture of fear, hope, and resignation. Turning back around, Hermione reminded herself that this was exactly why they were doing the ritual tonight. Renewed sense of purpose overriding her nerves, she smiled to herself as they continued to walk toward the hotel.

It didn't take long to arrive and soon, they were checked in and settled into their respective rooms. The plan was to leave the B&B around 5 that evening. That would give them seven hours to eat dinner and prepare everything for their long night ahead.

Apparating directly back to Dinas Emerys, the group immediately set to work preparing the area for the rituals. Hermione had brought the tent again. This time, she set it up at the far side of the main cavern, away from the pool. They would use it to eat and rest during the times that they weren't needed.

Once the tent was set up, they discussed what to do first. In anticipation of a sleepless night, they had all slept in that morning and had eaten breakfast, and then lunch later than usual. Because of this, no one was hungry yet. After some discussion, they decided to prepare the ritual chamber first then eat their dinner.

Working carefully, not to spill a precious drop, Hermione poured the potion that was to be used as paint into the ritual jar they had procured for this purpose. She mixed in the macerated berry parts that had been saved after they had extracted the juice. As she did this, the potion immediately thickened to the consistency of paint.

Entering the chamber, they immediately began burning sage. Once the area was thoroughly purified, they would place ceremonial oil burners filled with patchouli, bergamot, lavender, and sandalwood in the corners of the room.

When the purification was done, they set to painting the runic circle. As soon as that was complete, everyone exited the room, warding the entrance so that those outside the room wouldn't be able to see or hear what was happening inside.

Before they ate, Hermione ran through the steps that they were to follow once inside the room. Being Hermione, she had also left an instruction sheet next to the door. It was important that they follow the steps precisely and in order.

After dinner, it was time to begin the purification rituals on their bodies. The women went first, bathing in the pool using rose and jasmine oils on their bodies and then dressing in their white silk robes. They adorned their hair with Lily of the Valley. That particular bloom was chosen because it represented purity of heart and return to happiness. Everyone had agreed that those sentiments seemed especially appropriate given the situation and the goal of the bonding.

When the women were bathed and dressed in their ceremonial robes, the men took their place at the pool. Bathing with oils of cypress and vetiver then dressing in the linen robes.

Once everyone finished preparing, they had about an hour before midnight. They spent that hour discussing the timing for everything one last time. Sunrise would occur at 5:43. That gave them just under two hours each from the beginning of the bonding ceremony until they needed to exit the ritual chamber for the next couple to begin. Hermione instructed everyone to set an alert on their wands to go off when they had been in the chamber for an hour and fifteen minutes. That would give them fifteen minutes to dress and exit the chamber.

At five minutes to midnight, they all gathered near the pool. Ron and Pansy stood nervously in their place in front of Kingsley. It was nearly time for the bonding ceremony to begin.

The ancient bonding ritual that they had chosen wasn't full of sentiment and flowery language. They would leave that for their wedding ceremonies. Tonight, they were here for one purpose only, to break the horrible curse that Voldemort had set upon them.

Precisely at Midnight, Hermione watched as Kingsley directed his attention to the couple before him, and began to speak. "Pansy Parkinson, do you come here today of your own free will with the intent to be bonded for life to Ronald Weasley?"

Pansy, smiled nervously at Ron before answering in a slightly shaking voice, "Yes, I do."

Kinglsey smiled reassuringly at her before turning to Ron and repeating the words. When he responded in the affirmative, Kingsley continued with the ceremony. He reached out and joined Ron and Pansy's left hands together then brandished his wand and waved it a complex pattern speaking the words, "Indissolubili Vinculo Copulatae Cohaerentiae," as he completed the phrase, a shining gold rope shot from his wand. Hermione watched, transfixed as it began to wrap around Ron and Pansy's wrists in a figure-eight pattern. She counted seven rotations of their wrists before it stopped and a blinding golden light enveloped the couple.

When the light faded, Kingsley said, "Congratulations you two. The ceremony is complete. You may proceed into the ritual chamber."

As soon as Pansy and Ron stepped into the side chamber and disappeared from view, the rest of the group decided to move back into the tent and rest. Planning to meet back at the ceremony site in an hour and fifteen minutes, in order to be ready to begin as soon as Pansy and Ron emerged.

When Ron and Pansy came out of the ritual chamber an hour and twenty minutes later, they were wrapped around each other, glowing with love, happiness evident on both of their faces. As they approached, Hermione and Theo took their places in front of Kingsley, ready to complete their own bond.

The ceremony proceeded exactly as Ron and Pansy's had. Once it was complete, Hermione took Theo's hand and they entered the ritual room. Gazing into each other's eyes, they divested themselves of their robes. Hermione, as promised, used her wand to remove the glamours that hid her scars from view. Looking up at Theo, she saw the love and appreciation for her shining in his eyes. Even though she knew that they were on a schedule and needed to keep moving, she allowed him to draw her into a searing kiss. As they pulled away, he whispered, "I love you. Thank you for remembering what I asked."

She whispered back, "Of course I remembered. I love you too, so much."

With this, Hermione turned and picked up the paint. The ritual called for very specific runes to be painted on their bodies. First, Berkano which represented birth and fertility was to be placed low on Hermione's belly and Ingwaz which represented male fertility on Theo's. Next, came Wunjo for joy which was painted over their hearts. Finally, Gebo for partnership was situated on their left hands. As Theo was working on her final rune, Hermione was overcome with need. She knew that part of that was the magic of their bond making sure that they completed the ritual, the rest was her genuine love for Theo. When they were finally done, they double-checked all of the runes for correctness before joining hands and stepping into the circle.

As they entered the circle, Hermione turned and gazed deeply into Theo's eyes. Her heart was pounding wildly, not from nerves, but anticipation and a now urgent need. She had wanted to join with him fully for what felt like forever and the magic swirling around them was making it nearly unbearable to wait. Smiling up at him, she drew him into a deep kiss and whispered, "I'm so ready for this. I can't wait until you are finally inside me." Grinning a little wickedly, she winked and said, "I think I told you that first night we were together, to just stop thinking and feel." She saw Theo return her smile before he pulled her back up for a kiss and proceeded to do just that.

They were soon so caught up in pleasuring each other that they completely forgot about why they were there. When Theo finally sank into Hermione's wet heat, they both gasped with pleasure. Hermione was soon overcome with the emotion of the moment. A few errant tears rolled down her cheeks before she looked up to meet Theo's intense gaze. They locked eyes as he moved above her and Hermione thought to herself that this had been worth waiting for. Soon, they were both crying out in the pleasure of completion. Theo collapsed into her, then rolled them over so that she was cradled against his chest, exhausted and sated.

As they lay together, enjoying the post-coital bliss, Hermione's one coherent thought was that she completely understood why this had been used as a fertility ritual. The magic had made it so it would have been nearly impossible to resist each other if they had desired. That desperate feeling of need combined with the fertility runes would pretty much guarantee conception. With that thought, she absentmindedly rubbed a hand over her flat stomach and wondered if they had created life with their act of love.

When their wands signaled that their time was nearly up, Hermione sighed. She was snuggled comfortably into her lover's, no she corrected herself happily, her husband's body. Wishing that they could stay there for the rest of the night, but knowing that wasn't possible, she rose and pulling Theo with her, exited the rune circle. Then, after dressing quickly she drew him into one final kiss before exiting the room to watch Harry and Daphne bond with each other.

...

At 5:40 the group was, once again, gathered together, this time including Draco who was standing in the center of the circle surrounded by the three couples. Kingsley and Astoria stood off to the side, well away from the group, making sure that they weren't close enough to interfere with the ritual that would begin shortly. At precisely 5:43 they began the ritual, passing the asthame around the circle. First, Ron and Pansy sliced their left hands and placed a drop of blood each into the potion quickly followed by Hermione and Theo, and Harry and Daphne. That complete, the couples joined left hands and placed their right on Draco as he poured the potion over his dark mark. As soon as the potion touched his skin, the group began the chant, once, twice, thrice, they chanted the words that Hermione had found in unison. Their voices echoing off the stone walls eerily. As they finished the incantation the third time, a dark shadow burst from Draco's arm and hovered there. He dropped to his knees and grasped his arm, crying out in pain. Across the room, Astoria mimicked his actions as did Theo, Daphne, and Pansy in the circle.

Hermione frantically looked around, wide-eyed, not knowing what this meant. Did it mean that they succeeded, or failed? After a minute, the pain seemed to subside and they were all able to stand. Hermione asked if any of them knew what happened, looking around, she noted that all of them shook their heads and wore confused expressions. Draco spoke quietly, "It felt exactly like it did when that bastard branded me. Only..." he hesitated, continuing when he saw the encouraging looks from everyone, "Only, this time I felt the emotional pain of remorse for everything that I've done wrong in my life. It felt as if I was being ripped in two. It was the most excruciating pain that I've ever felt." Astoria, Theo, Pansy, and Daphne all chimed in, agreeing that they had experienced as the others looked on in sympathy.

Harry looked thoughtful for a moment, and then spoke, "Hermione, didn't you say that remorse was the only way to put your soul back together?"

Hermione nodded slowly, seeing where he was going with this, "You're right Harry!" she exclaimed. "I think that this is a sign that what we did worked. Feeling pain and remorse very likely means that the curse was removed. Voldemort would have wanted it to be as painful as possible if someone was able to break the curse. I also think that if those of you who were here, especially Draco, didn't feel the proper amount of remorse, then it likely wouldn't have worked at all. Hopefully, this means that we've succeeded but we won't know for sure unless people start having magical babies again."

Deciding that they had done everything they could and that regardless of the outcome, they had succeeded, everyone began to pack up their belongings. It took some time to clear the area and they had to once again cleanse the rooms to rid them of any residual magic. They didn't want to leave a strong magical residue and have someone happen upon the power reserve and use it for nefarious purposes. As soon as they were finished, they moved outside and apparated back to the trees near the Bed and Breakfast.

As soon as they landed, what was supposed to be a relaxing morning turned chaotic. An owl immediately found them and flew over to Kingsley with its leg out. He opened the missive and reading quickly announced, "Sorry folks, it looks like I won't be able to stay and enjoy breakfast. It seems that I'm needed back due to a large number of inmates in Azkaban and people turning up at St. Mungos complaining of left arm pain. Apparently what the five of you felt earlier, people back at home experienced as well." Sighing deeply, he said, "I was really looking forward to that delicious breakfast too."

Hermione grinned up at him, "You know that it's nothing to be concerned about. I say that you take a few minutes and grab a muffin at least. They don't need to know that you got the owl so quickly. You told them that you were going on holiday, right?"

Kinglsey chuckled, "I like the way you think, Hermione. Their muffins were especially good. I think I'll do that. It's been a long night. I need something before I go deal with what must be chaos at home."

Entering the Bed and Breakfast, they immediately followed the delicious scents into the dining room and greeted the hostess who immediately smiled and returned the greeting. Ravenous after their long night, they sat and quickly began to fill their plates with the wonderful offerings. Soon, Kingsley finished his simple meal and bid everyone goodbye telling them that he would see them all very soon.

After he left, the others enjoyed a leisurely meal before retiring to their rooms for some much-needed rest. They had decided to keep the rooms for an extra night, a honeymoon of sorts before heading back to England the following day to finalize plans for their public wedding ceremony the next weekend.

Alone in their room, at last, Hermione and Theo enjoyed a long shower before curing into each other and falling quickly into a deep sleep. It had been a long night filled with so many emotions and they were physically and emotionally exhausted. Before they fell asleep, Hermione took a moment to reflect upon the last year. Sighing, she cuddled into Theo's side and decided with certainty that all of the fears and anxiety when she first discovered the curse was completely worth the outcome and she couldn't wait to see where their lives would take them.

...

Returning to England the following morning, the group went to their respective homes. Arriving at Nott Manor, Theo and Hermione spotted the Daily Prophet waiting for them. Opening the paper, they laughed. There on the front page was a full-page article devoted to the "Mystery Pain," that had been experienced by more than half of the population. Curious, they read the article. It had included interviews with the guards on duty at Azkaban that morning who had at first suspected that the prisoners were trying to create a diversion to allow a mass break out. Soon, they realized that wasn't the case because several of the guards were suffering from the same ailment.

There were also interviews with healers at St. Mungos who were stumped by what had caused the issue. There were various theories, but no one could come up with a definitive answer.

People around the country were frightened by what caused their pain. They were demanding answers. They were afraid that it was some kind of curse that would cause further issues if it wasn't broken.

Over the next week, famous healers from all over the world, curse breakers, and even the department of mysteries were all consulted about the problem. No one could come up with a reason for the pain experienced by so many. Kingsley asked the group to meet with him at Malfoy Manor to brainstorm solutions to this problem. At their meeting, no one could come up with a plausible reason that so many, unrelated people would experience the same thing simultaneously.

Surprisingly, it was Ron who came up with the best way to handle it. He suggested that they put out a statement saying that the top healers, curse breakers, and the DoM were all unable to find anything that would be cause for worry. That they should tell the public that if something like this occurred again or if they began to have odd symptoms that they should consult a healer as soon as possible.

Everyone agreed that this was best. They understood that there would be some false reports from panicked individuals and others would worry about related symptoms, when, in fact, they were coming down with something perfectly normal, but those small issues were easier to deal with than the mass panic that was currently happening.

The following day, Kingsley put out the statement that they had agreed upon. It did seem to calm most people, somewhat. Others refused to be silenced and continued to call for answers. Thankfully, the media was quickly distracted by what was being called the wedding of the century.


	17. Chapter 17

Notes:

This is it, the last chapter. I hope you've enjoyed it. Thanks for sticking with me through this journey!

I don't own the characters!

...

Chapter 17

Exactly a week after the bonding ceremony, they had their public wedding ceremony. Everything had gone perfectly. Many guests, even some of the skeptics shed tears over the obvious love and devotion shared by all three couples. After the ceremony, the guests all joined them for an elaborate reception. Everyone had fantastic. There had been hours of dancing, eating, and drinking. Hermione had avoided alcoholic beverages, except for a few sips during the toasts, and noticed with a smile that Pansy, Daphne, and Astoria were all taking the same precautions. None of them were willing to risk overdoing the alcohol consumption in case they had conceived.

Hermione and Theo both took time off from work after the wedding. Deciding that they wanted some time to relax away from everything, they had planned a honeymoon in Greece. It had been a wild year, and they knew that there was more to come.

A few weeks after their honeymoon, Hermione began to experience morning sickness. Knowing that pregnancy was likely, she took a test. It was positive. They immediately made an appointment with a healer to determine the date of conception, though Hermione already knew the answer. She knew that she had very likely gotten pregnant on 2 May.

At their appointment at St. Mungos, her suspicion was confirmed. She was 6 weeks pregnant and conception had occurred between 1 May and 4 May. They decided to wait to announce their pregnancy to everyone until she was further along, but they wanted to share the news with the other two couples immediately.

Like the first night the group got together, they planned for Hermione to cook and the others to come over. Hermione and Theo had decided to tell everyone over dessert. When they did, their news was met by delighted laughter. In answer to Hermione's questioning look, both Pansy and Daphne had blurted out, "me too!"

They had all known that if they were successful in breaking the curse that this was a likely scenario, especially since they used a fertility ritual to complete their bonds. Even knowing that, they were still a little shocked to find that all three of them had managed to conceive at once. They were happy that they would be able to experience this together and thrilled that their children would all grow up together.

After discussing their pregnancies, Hermione brought up the subject of the journal that Astoria had loaned her. She asked everyone if any of them had noticed enhanced abilities or anything unusual since their bonding ceremonies. Thankfully none of them had experienced anything too intrusive. All three couples admitted that they felt more in tune with what their partners were feeling but that was the extent of it. Hermione had exchanged a meaningful glance with Harry at this admission. She had been especially worried about what her friend would have felt if he'd had to endure an intrusion into his thoughts or feelings, even if it was experienced with someone that he loved and trusted. Fortunately, he wouldn't have to go through that again.

A few weeks later, they had all been invited to Malfoy Manor for dinner. During the dessert course, Draco and Astoria had tearfully shared the news that she was expecting. They were ecstatic and couldn't stop thanking the group for everything they had done to break the curse. When pressed for details, Astoria confided that her healer thought that she had conceived sometime during the first week of May. Finally, they had proof that the curse was broken. Now, they just had to wait and see if the babies were magical before there could be any kind of public announcement.

...

When Hermione returned to work, she didn't inform her boss that the birth issue had been corrected. She quietly continued to work on the project, gathering more data from St. Mungos as it became available to her. She wasn't allowed to know the names of the couples of course, but her contact was able to give her anonymous data detailing the number of new pregnancies along with the month of conception, and approximately how long each couple had been attempting to conceive.

The new data was staggering! Conceptions in the month of May alone was twenty times higher than the number of total conceptions in the past seven years! When Hermione had seen that number, her heart had lept with joy. She knew that she shouldn't get too excited until the babies were all born and could be tested for magical ability, but her gut told her that they had been completely successful. It was amazing to know that they could thumb their noses at old Voldy because his final attempt at controlling the magical world had been thwarted.

The months seemed to pass quickly and soon they were all unable to conceal their pregnancies any longer. Their announcements, combined with pregnancy announcements from many other couples in the wizarding world brought speculation from the media once again. It also brought the scrutiny of Hermione's boss. He confronted her the day after her pregnancy had become public knowledge. She had been summoned to his office by way of a message delivered by one of her coworkers. Sighing, she left her office, knowing what was coming.

"Unspeakable Granger, come in, close the door behind you," said the gruff voice as she knocked on the door.

Hermione did as she was told and approached her boss's desk. "Sit," he said, indicating the chair in front of him. She took the seat and waited for him to get on with it, "Granger, did you have something to do with the sudden increase in pregnancies? Was that the special project with Minister Shacklebolt? Was that the cause for all the closed door, after-hours meetings with that odd little group the minister put together."

At Hermione's shocked gasp that she hadn't been able to control, her boss smirked nastily, "Don't think I didn't notice, I have eyes everywhere. I wanted to find out what was so important that he would pull you from other projects and demand that you report to him. Malfoy was in on whatever it was too and I heard that his wife is expecting as well. You may as well tell me the rest, I'll find out."

It was Hermione's turn to smirk, "I'm not telling you anything. You won't learn more than you already know until the Minister is ready for you to be informed."

Turning beet red in his anger, Smithe demanded, "Granger, you will tell me, or I will make sure that you no longer have a job. I am still your superior, or have you forgotten?"

Hermione calmly met his angry gaze, "Unspeakable Smithe, in case you've forgotten, Minister Shacklebolt requested that I report directly to him, he never rescinded that order. I do not report to you. If you have a problem with me, I suggest that you take it up with him." With that, Hermione rose from her seat and left the room. Leaving the unpleasant man to stew on his own.

Later that night as she lay in bed with Theo, Hermione related the confrontation with her boss. As she told him what had occurred with the nasty man, she considered the request she was planning to make. She had been thinking about it all day and as much as she loved her job, she disliked her boss. Also, she realized that once the baby was born, the demands of her job may be more than she wanted. It was strange to her, she'd always thought that her career was something that could never come second, but being with Theo and expecting their first child had made her realize that this wasn't true any longer.

Nervously, she brought up an idea that had been going through her head all day. She knew that Theo would support her in any way that she wished and if she decided that she didn't want to work anymore and wanted to stay at home with their children, he would be more than happy to make that happen. She just wasn't sure how he would react to this idea. "Theo, I don't know if I want to continue to work for the ministry once the baby is born. I... I..."

Theo, sensing her apprehension, pulled her onto his chest, wrapping his arms around her tightly and whispered, "Hermione, whatever it is, whatever you want, we will make it happen. You don't have to work. If you don't want to go back tomorrow, you don't need to. Tell what will make you happy and we will do it."

Gazing up into his eyes, she whispered, "Thank you, love. I know that you mean that. I do want to continue to work, just not at the ministry and I'm not certain how you will feel about this request."

Curiosity peaked, Theo encouraged her to go on, "Whatever it is, it can't be that bad. I promise not to be upset regardless of how crazy your idea proves to be," he said with a grin, knowing that Hermione would never have a truly crazy idea.

Finally, she admitted, "I want to work with the orphanage and children's center. I want to work with the director to run the day to day business and work on the fund-raising side to make sure that we can continue to maintain it for our lifetime and beyond. This will be our children's legacy and I want to make sure that it's there for them. Originally, I know that it was your way of giving back and making up for what your father did but, you have done more than that. It's grown into something truly amazing and I want it to become something that the entire wizarding world can come together to support," Pausing, she looked up at Theo, a little afraid that she would see apprehension on his face. Instead, she was overjoyed to see a bright smile and eyes that were full of genuine happiness.

Theo kissed her gently on the forehead and told her honestly, "Nothing would make me happier than to know that you are the one taking care of things at the center and orphanage. The director and workers that I've employed are wonderful and they have done a fantastic job for me, but it would ease my mind to know that someone that I love and trust and someone that believes in this as much as I do is overseeing everything. I will, of course, continue to visit the children as often as possible, but knowing that I don't have to check up on the business part of the operation will make my schedule easier. That was something that I was struggling with. I wanted to make sure that I had plenty of time to make sure that I am involved in every aspect of our child's life. I don't want to be the kind of father that is only around for dinner. I want to be there for everything. This is the perfect solution. This will allow us to have ample time for family life and still maintain the businesses."

Letting out a relieved sigh, Hermione rained kisses over Theo's face, saying, "I love you, you make me so happy. I love that you want the same things as me." Then, with a thoughtful expression she added, "I'm going to speak with Kings first to make sure that he doesn't need me for anything else and if he says that he's okay with it, I'm going to go ahead and put my notice in tomorrow. I'll let Kingsley know that I will still be there to assist him in sharing whatever we decide to make public once all of these babies are born with magical abilities."

Theo smiled, "Of course, Kingsley knows that you are fully invested in this, as are the rest of us, but you especially since you discovered the problem in the first place. I'm happy that you are going to go ahead and do this now. It will allow you to spend the rest of this pregnancy in a stress-free environment."

The next morning, Hermione went into work early and went straight to Kingsley's office. Thankfully she found him alone and not too busy to meet with her. After explaining everything, from what had occurred with her boss to her desire to be more available to her family, she waited for his reaction. Fortunately, he understood completely her reasons for leaving. He realized that she'd fulfilled her biggest reason for staying at the Ministry in the first place. She could leave knowing that she'd been the one to solve a major mystery in the wizarding world. He knew that losing her would be a huge loss to the department, but he was happy that she was moving on to something that would be so meaningful and give her purpose.

Biding Kingsley goodbye, Hermione headed downstairs to the DoM to break the news to her boss. Even knowing that he wasn't going to react well, she was looking forward to seeing the look on his face when he realized that he didn't have a hold over her any longer.

Entering the Department of Mysteries, Hermione went straight to Smithe's office. Finding him at his desk, she informed him that she had already spoken to the Minister but she wanted to let him know as well that this was her official notice. Smithe looked at her, disgust evident on his face and said coldly, "Unless Minister Shacklebolt has reason to keep you around for the next few weeks, you can go now. I have no use for you. You've been worthless."

Hermione ignored his words and kindly said goodbye to him. Entering her office, she packed up her belongings and research that she'd compiled, and prepared to leave. Before she did, she decided to let a few of her coworkers, including Draco, know what was going on. She spoke to a few people, telling them that she had given notice but that she was leaving immediately as she made her way toward Draco's office. Knocking on his door jam, she waited until he looked up and beckoned for her to enter. Closing the door behind her, she explained everything to him. He gave her the kind of smile that she never would have guessed him to be capable of before he said, "I'll be sad to see you go. I've honestly enjoyed working with you and being able to get to know you better over the past few years. I'm happy that you're with Theo and that we've all become friends through this crazy experience. Now, go and enjoy being able to do something that you are going to love without having a crazy boss breathing down your neck." He smirked before adding with a wink, "You get to be the crazy boss now."

...

The next few months passed quickly. Hermione settled into her new role in the Nott Foundation and was truly loving everything about her life. Soon, the holiday season approached. This Christmas was very different from the previous year. Instead of being filled with trips and exciting activities, they preferred a more low key approach. They spent lots of time with their friends but with all the ladies in their final month of pregnancy, they mostly hung out at home. Hermione and Theo spent some of their time preparing a nursery for their new little one and helped their friends do the same.

Once the holidays were over, they had less than a month before the babies were due. They spent that time, happily enjoying baby showers and finishing preparing their homes to welcome their children. Although Astoria had been the last to conceive, she was the first to deliver. She and Draco welcomed baby Scorpious three weeks early on 9 January 2006. He was Draco in miniature and though he was early, he was perfectly healthy.

The very next day, while visiting the happy family in the hospital, Hermione got confirmation that Scorpious was indeed a magical child. The healers at St. Mungos had confirmed a strong magical core. Finally, the proof that they needed to tell the public about everything that had occurred.

After getting permission from Draco and Astoria to share their thrilling news, Hermione visited Kingsley to fill him in. He was just as happy as she had been to hear that they finally had confirmation that everything they had done had been successful.

Kingsley suggested that they do an interview with a reporter that he trusted and tell everything. Hermione quickly agreed and knowing that she could go into labor at any time, they decided that if the reporter was available that they would go ahead and plan the meeting for the very next day.

The next morning, Hermione arrived at the Ministry early, wanting to arrive before the reporter. She had just gotten settled into Kingsley's office when the reporter arrived. Hermione was surprised to see that it was Dennis Creevy. She relaxed immediately, knowing that Dennis would make sure that the article was honest and written in a way that put a positive spin on things, pretty much the opposite of what Rita Skeeter would have done, given the chance.

As soon as they exchanged greetings, Dennis asked, "Minister, Hermione, what's going on? I have a suspicion that this has to do with the so-called birth problem, that all of a sudden isn't a problem anymore," pointedly eyeing Hermione's round stomach, " but I could be completely wrong." He sat back, looking at them expectantly, waiting to be told why he was there.

Hermione and Kingsley exchanged an amused look. Kingsley nodded at Hermione so she began to explain. She took Dennis through everything that had occurred over the past year and a half, from the prophecy to the birth of a magical Malfoy child the day before. As she spoke, Dennis remained professional but his eyes grew comically wide. Hermione was sure that whatever he had expected to hear, what they had to say wasn't close to any of his wildest guesses.

When she was done, they asked Dennis if he had questions for them. He looked down at the notes that he'd taken and clarified a few things before asking, "Will you be releasing the results of the blood testing?"

Kingsley nodded and answered, "Yes, we plan to make that available to anyone who is interested. We are going to offer a 2 week time period where those who weren't eligible to be tested before to come in if they desire. After that, we will run the spell again and then distribute the results to anyone who wants to know. If someone has been married since then, we will not include them in this round of testing.

Dennis nodded slowly, still a little overwhelmed by what he had learned. He looked at Kingsley, "I'm going to go home and write this up. I don't want to go to the Prophet because I don't want anything to be leaked. As soon as I'm done, I will personally deliver a copy to you. I want you to read and approve of the article before I submit it to be printed. After Kingsley agreed to the plan, Dennis said goodbye to them both before quickly leaving, looking like he was becoming more and more excited by the minute. Hermione laughed to herself, thinking that he had just begun to process everything and was realizing that this was the story of a lifetime.

The article was in the morning edition of the Prophet and Dennis had done a wonderful job. It was clear, concise, and stuck to the truth. Most of the population was shocked but happy that the curse had been discovered and stopped. There were, of course, a few who claimed that this was a cover-up, or were angry and said that they had a right to know as soon as this was discovered, or that Hermione had fabricated it all to catch herself a rich wizard, or any other number of negative opinions.

A few days later, Pansy went into labor and delivered a beautiful little girl that they decided to name Rose. She was a lovely mixture of both of her parents with hair that was a deep auburn color, icy blue eyes, and delicate features. The day after Rose was born, it was Daphne's turn. She and Harry named their son James Sirius. James was the spitting image of Harry. Hermione visited both families in the hospital a wished that she would hurry up and go into labor.

Finally, on 2 February when she was nearly two weeks overdue, Hermione delivered a gorgeous baby girl that she and Theo named Isabelle Helene after both of their mothers. Isabelle was truly lovely with her father's stunning blue eyes and a little head covered with dark ringlets. Hermione and Theo were both immediately smitten with her. She was the most perfect child that either of them had ever seen. After a few hours of getting to know their new little one, their friends had begun to show up to meet Isabelle.

That night, after all of their well-wishers, had gone home, the three of them were finally alone, snuggled together on the bed. Theo was holding Isabelle with his free arm around Hermione. They sat in silence, staring at the perfect little creature that they had created together and reveled in the joy that they both felt at that moment. Sighing happily, Hermione cuddled closer to Theo and thought that everything they'd gone through had been worth it just to get to experience this moment. Her elation grew when she realized that this was just the beginning and there would be many more perfect moments to come.

The End

Thank you for reading! I appreciate the support that I've received over the past couple of months while publishing my first fanfic. It's truly meant the world to me. If you enjoyed my story, please leave a review and let me know what you think!

I plan to start publishing my next story in a month or two. It's a wartime/post-war George/Hermione story. Follow me for updates!


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